3.0. Decision Making and Global Politics

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3.0. Decision Making and Global Politics

• Learning objectives
• Familiar with the subject matter of
  decision-making
• Understand the context in which foreign policy
  decisions are made
• Apply the leader model and the group model

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3.0. Decision Making and Global Politics

• 3.1. The Models of Decision Making
• 3.2. Applying the Models

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3.0. Decision Making and Global Politics

• Decision Making and Foreign Policy Analysis
• The Decision Making Context
• Study Tip
• Remember the various levels of inputs into
  foreign policy decision-making, and be prepared
  to discuss a decision using these inputs as an
  analytical tool.

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3.1. The Models

• The Leader Model
• The Group Model
• The Rational Actor Model
• The Bureaucratic Politics Model

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The Leader Model

• The Primacy of Leaders
• The Role and Influence of Leaders

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The Leader Model

• The Role and Influence of Leaders
• Decisions reflect belief systems and values
• Decisions reflect perceptions
• Decisions reflect life experiences
• Decisions reflect cognitive abilities

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The Leader Model

• The Primacy of Leaders
• Influences of Leaders
• Limits on the Leader Model

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The Leader Model

• Limits on the Leader Model
• Structure of the political system
• Domestic political power of leader
• Advisors
• Information quality
• Capabilities of the state/organization
• Domestic and international norms

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The Group Model

• The Primacy of the Group

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The Group Model

• Group Psychology
• Example Groupthink

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The Group Model

• Decision-making Norms and Rules
• Voting procedures
• Unanimity? Consensus?
• The Lowest Common Denominator

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Summary

• Learning objectives
• After this class, you should feel comfortable
  with the various inputs that are relevant in an
  analysis of foreign policy decision-making.
• You should be able to identify and explain the
  leader model of decision-making, but you should
  also be able to identify the limitations of the
  model.
• You should be able to identify and explain the
  group model of decision-making, and in particular
  be able to discuss group think and the
  significance of norms and rules.
• You should be able to apply the leader model and
  the group model to a decision, and compare and
  contrast the two models.