Study Questions for Little, Chapter 3

  1. What is the author's main point?
  2. What is (are) the central premise(s) of rational choice?
  3. How does rational choice provide aggregative explanations?
  4. What is the difference between "thin" and "thick" descriptions of human action?
  5. Why does rational choice use the concept of utility?
  6. Why does rational choice use the concept of probability [think deeper]?
  7. What are the different decision rules of rational choice?
  8. Why use game theory?
  9. What situations in (American) politics are represented by the prisoners' dilemma?
  10. What is the free-rider problem? Where is it found in (American) politics?
  11. How are the collective action problem and the prisoners' dilemma the same?
  12. What is wrong with rational choice?
  13. Why does any of this matter to political scientists?

Things to look for/keep in mind for future readings:


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