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SPA 508
PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS & DESIGNRATIONAL CHOICE THEORY
(RATIONALISM) & GAME THEORY
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RATIONALCHOICETHEORY(RCT) Knownassocial-choiceorformaltheory
Originatedwitheconomist Itspointedoutthatgovernmentshouldchoose
policiesresultingingainstosocietythatexceedsthecostbythegreatestamount(ACHIEVES
MAXIMUMSOCIALGAIN)&governmentshouldrefrainfrompoliciesifthecostexceedsgains.
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CoreAssumptionsofRCT Itinvolvesapplyingtheprinciplesof
microeconomictheory(cost-benefitanalysis)and
explanationofpoliticalbehavior(ornon-marketdecisionmaking)
Expectedutilityasaprincipalofeconomictheory
Itemphasizeonthemaximizationofprofitsand
minimizinglosses Rationalistswanttoimprovepolicymaking:
calculatecostsandtradeoffs,recognizeexternalities,optimizepolicies.
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CoreAssumptionsofRCT Thecost-benefitanalysisisthoroughlyapplied
intotheRCTwherebytheinvolvementof
monetaryvalueofinitialandongoingexpensesvsexpectedreturn(benefit).
However,Rationalismshouldnotbeviewedonlyinanarrow$mindset.
Rationalisminvolvescalculationofallsocial,politicalandeconomicvaluessacrificedorachievedbypublicpolicynotonlythosemeasuredin$.
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ExampleofRCT: Issue:NuriHelicopterfortheMalaysiasArmy.
Cost: ThepriceofNuriHelicopterisexpensive Thepublicmoneymostlywillbespentonbuying
thishelicopter
Benefits: Newtechnology(fastercomparedtotheother
helicopter)
Lowmaintenancecost
Capabletodomanymissionsandactions
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1stIMPLICATIONS Thevotersandpoliticalpartiesactasrational
decisionmakerswhoseektomaximizeattainment
oftheirpreferences.Beingrational,itisarguedthatindividualcancomprehendandranktheirpreferencesfrommosttoleastdesired.
Inmakingdecisions(whethereconomicor
political),theyareguidedbythesepreferencesandwillseektomaximizethebenefittheygain.
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2ndIMPLICATIONS:
Rationalchoicetheoryinvolvesmethodologicalindividualism.Itmeanstheindividualdecisionmakeristheprimaryunitofanalysisandtheory.
Itcanbesaidthatitinvolvestheselectionofthealternativewhichwillmaximizethevaluesofdecisionmakers,theselectionbeingmadefollowingacomprehensiveanalysisofalternativesandtheirconsequences.
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Reutilizationofactivitythroughestablishingprogramsandstandardoperatingprocedures
Specializationofactivitiesandrolesitwilldirectedtoaparticularrestrictedsetofvalue
Simultaneousandsequentialpursuitofconflictinggoals
Factoringofgoalsandtasksintoprogramsanddepartmentsthataresemi-independentofoneanothertoreduceinterdependencies
STRENGTHOFRCT
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Time Consuming Processes Itincludegroupofprofessionalinvolveinmakingdecision
Expensive ProcessThecostinvolveisusuallyisveryhigh
Determining the suitabilityTheneedfordeterminingthebestmethodbecauseitinvolvemoneyandtimespend
Delays in Decision Making -Therearetomanycriticalvaluesanddatainvolvedinanalyzingthealternative.Conflictamongmembersalsowillcreatedelayoftheslippedopportunities
WEAKNESSOFRCT
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Gametheory
Definition:
Studyofrationaldecisioninsituationinwhichtwoormoreparticipantshavechoices
tomakeandtheoutcomesdependsonthechoicesmadebyeach.
Gametheoryisabranchofmathematicsdevelopedtodealwithconflictofinterestsituationinsocialscience.
TheoriginsofthistheorycanbetracedtoearlyarticleswrittenbyEmileBorel(1921,1924)andJohnvonNeuman(1928)---amathematicians
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Cont
Gametheorycanbeconsiderasatheoryofinterdependentchoice.
Ingametheory,aplayercanbeanindividual,oragroupofindividualswhichfunctioningasadecisionmakingunit.
Playersareassumedtobeabletoevaluateandcomparetheconsequencesassociatedwiththesetofpossibleoutcomes--->utilities
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Cont
Theoptionsthatavailabletoplayerswhichresultingtooutcomesarecalledstrategies.
Gamescanbedividedaccordingtotherulesassumedtogovernplay.
Non-cooperativegames:gamesinwhichbiindingagreementsareprecluded
Cooperativegames:bindingagreementsarepossible.
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Non-cooperativeGame
Theory Thistheorybeginswiththesuppositionthateachplayersareunabletocommunicateornegotiatetobindingagreementswitheachother.
Thus,itismoresuitableforanalyzingsituationswherethereareobstacles
Equilibriumoutcomesplayacentralrole.
Inbriefly,Nashsequilibriumconceptassumes
thatplayersonlyconsidertheimmediateadvantagesanddisadvantagesofaunilateralstrategyswitch.
Thiscanbeseenthroughtheconceptof
PrisonersDilemma.
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Cont
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CooperativeGameTheory
Incooperativetheorytherearerulesthatallowplayerstonegotiatebindingagreementswitheachother.
Theassumptionaboutthepossibilityofbindingagreementsthatdistinguishescooperativefromnon-cooperativegametheoryhasimportant
implicationsfortheoutcomesthateachbranchoftheorypredictstobeselectedbyplayers.
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ContInthecooperativetheory,nospecialstatusisaffordedtoequilibriumoutcomes.
Cooperativetheoryattemptstosingleoutoutcomesfromamongthesetofpossibleoutcomesthatrationalplayerswouldagreeto.
Itisassumedthat,anoutcomemustsatisfyboththeconditionsofindividualrationalityandalsogrouprationality
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Strengths
Rationalmodeloftheinteraction(eventtrees,conditionalprobabilities)
Mathematicallogicofinterdependence.
Mixedmotivesofconflictandcooperation.Mathematicalequilibria.
Quantitativeutilityofexpectedoutcomes.
Modelsleadtoclearpredictions.
Firstmodelsofgroupbehavior.
Generalizable
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Weaknesses Emotionisnotintegraltothemodel
Uncertaintyismodeledsequentially,notinterdependently(i.e.,uncertaintyinobservation
isfollowedbyuncertaintyinaction).
Argumentation,incommensurability,anddiversityhavezerosocialvalue.
Staticconfigurationsandequilibriaforceinformationprocessingtooccurextrarationally
(i.e.,reactivetoobservationsofothers
behaviors).
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Cont Arbitraryutilitiesforcooperationandcompetition
leadtoexplanationversusprediction,overstatingthevalueofcooperation.
Novalidationinlaborfield.
Shiftsbetweenindividualtogrouputilityoringrouptooutgrouputilitiescannotbestudied.
Conclusionsarenormative.
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Conclusion:
Tosumitup: Rationalchoicetheoryprovidesamethodologyforassessingdecision-makingbyusingempiricalevidenceandinformationlikelistedofbenefitsandcoststo
understandrevisionandchoice,andthusrationalizethepoliciesmade.
While,agametheory:
Mimicsmostreal-lifesituationswell
Solvingmaynotbeefficient Applicationsareinalmostallfields
Bigassumption:playersbeingrational
Canyouthinkofunrationalgametheory?
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Thankyou.Anyquestion?:
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REFERENCES: Anderson,JamesE.(2006)PublicPolicymaking.
Boston:houghtonmifflin.6thed.
Dye,ThomasR.(2008)UnderstandingPublicPolicy.PearsonPrenticeHall.12thed.
Downs,Anthony(1957).AnEconomicTheoryofDemocracy.NewYork:Harper.
Lawless,W.(2000).AdversarialCollaborationDecisionMaking:AnOverviewofSocialQuantumInformationProcessing.
Zagare,F.C.(1984).RecentAdvancesinGameTheoryandPoliticalScience.