Study Questions for Little, Chapter 3
- What is the author's main point?
- What is (are) the central premise(s) of rational choice?
- How does rational choice provide aggregative explanations?
- What is the difference between "thin" and "thick" descriptions
of human action?
- Why does rational choice use the concept of utility?
- Why does rational choice use the concept of probability [think deeper]?
- What are the different decision rules of rational choice?
- Why use game theory?
- What situations in (American) politics are represented by the prisoners' dilemma?
- What is the free-rider problem? Where is it found in (American) politics?
- How are the collective action problem and the prisoners' dilemma the same?
- What is wrong with rational choice?
- Why does any of this matter to political scientists?
Things to look for/keep in mind for future readings:
- the decision rule that agents use
- Olson's theory of collective action
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