The rational choice model, today, is widely applied in understanding the behaviors of policy makers. The two posts depict characteristics that are primary, both to the behavior of the politicians and the rational choice model. From the posts, it is undisputable that people make decisions based on the quality and quantity of pieces of information that they gather. Putting such a situation crudely details decision making based on very selfish standing points. That is, policy makers, based on the pieces of information that they gather, would swing the nature of their policies in any way that befits their desires (Birkland 81). An outstanding instance is evident in the first post where policy makers may change their feelings about ownership of guns based on what they consider beneficial to themselves. Simply, politicians employ the rational choice model to extract positivity out of any situation, provided the extracted information may catapult them to a re-election.
According to Birkland, strategic behavior, as a component of rational choice model, is often evident in the behaviors of politicians (194). Through strategic behavior analyses, politicians are made aware of the bases for other successful players. The results of such knowledge can be evident on the type of strategies that the politicians employ to reach out to their goals. Divisive strategies focus and even segmentation goals are some of the most common strategic stand points that politicians deploy today out of the contribution of the rational choice policy model. Based on the synchronization between politician behaviors and the rational choice model as evident in the illustrations in the two posts, I agree that the rational choice decision model definitely describes the behaviors of politicians.
Work Cited
Birkland, Thomas A. An Introduction to the Policy Process: Theories, Concepts and Models of Public Policy Making. Armonk: M.E Sharpe, 2011. Print
