In the study of comparative politics, many political theorists such as Andrew Hindmoor, Mark Petracca, and Jon Elson explain political occurrences such as war, voting methods, and the economy through the understanding of Rational Choice Theory. Rational Choice Theory is a prominent theory in the study of Politics and Economics. It posits that individuals, institutions, and societies construct purposive, goal-seeking choices based on their interests and preferences, which are rational (Hindmoor, 2006). For many people, one aspect of being part of a democratic society is the ability to take part in the political system. This can be done in several ways: by voting in an election, participating in public discussion-based meetings, serving jury duty, or simply protesting for a cause. These civic duty activities are known as political participation. Political participation is a crucial centerpiece within a democratic society. Through this, individuals participate in the political process by sharing their opinions on an issue or making their concerns and beliefs known. These are actions taken by individuals and political groups to influence government policy and the outcome of a political issue. However, applying the rational choice theory to the understanding of political action with the assumption that people are rational actors in political engagement is erroneous. This brings into question: are we rational actors when it comes to politics? This essay will critique the rational choice theory and argue that individuals are not entirely rational but rational to a certain extent in pursuing their objectives. Because individuals act in their self-interest, this can ultimately result in an unrepresentative flawed system of government that only represents a minority group of individuals, leading to an illegitimate government. Although individuals are not fully rational actors in politics, they are boundedly rational because they are goal-oriented. However, their human intellectual ability and emotional manner, at times, fail in making important decisions because they cannot handle multiple problems at once. They do not fully maximize their utility but only strive to satisfy their goals and what makes them content. Lastly, this paper argues that people are uninformed due to a disadvantage they hold within a democratic society.
Individuals do not always select the best action to achieve the overall goal that is beneficial for the common good but instead, they make irrational decisions based on their interests. We all have different interests, beliefs, and needs, and the same applies when we make our political decisions. The study of how our self-interest is relative to our decision-making by Andrew Hindmoor (2006) and Amartya K. Sen (1977) in the fields of economics and politics explains how we participate in politics. The Rational Choice Theory is used by economists and political theorists to explain the notion that individuals exercise rational thinking before making any decisions. Rational choice is an approach of positive analysis that attempts to tell us something about how the world functions and how individuals act within it. It uses the assumptions of self-interest and rationality of people to construct models of political processes or events. It states that individuals make purposive and goal-oriented decisions based on their beliefs and preferences, which are seen as rational. For that reason, individual actors are capable of making decisions in all case scenarios. This theory assumes that people take into consideration all possible costs and benefits of their options before making a decision. However, just because it is assumed that individuals are capable of making rational decisions, not all decisions made are fully thought-out and rational. Political action is not entirely rational because people only act in their self-interest and not for the common good of society, which leads to bad policies and decisions. The role of self-interest in elected officials and voters affects the formulation of public policies. For instance, when a voter feels strongly about a particular cause, they will use their voice to speak their interest and vote to elect a candidate that would meet their views. Because voters want their interests to be implemented in policies, they will exercise their political rights. The same goes for political organizations and elected officials. Political candidates and organizations want to hold a government position; therefore, they will tend to the voters and align with policies that a substantial number of voters appeal to in an attempt to get elected. However, this can lead to corruption and the exploitation of power that will result in bad policies and an unrepresentative government, such as governments influenced by self-interested corporations and political interest groups. Although interest groups are important for a democratic society, large interest groups can pose challenges to the government and society. Some powerful interest groups can use their financial resources and power to corrupt the government to ensure that policymakers remain in favor of their interests. Because elected officials are keen on getting elected, they are more likely to help side with larger interest groups and tend to their needs to get re-elected than the smaller groups. This can lead to pluralism that will only work in favor of the minority groups and not the general public, which shows to be unrepresentative. Larger interest groups and elected officials are not entirely rational but rational to a certain extent about what is beneficial to their cause rather than the cause for the common good. They make choices based on maximizing their utility rather than for the common good of society. Therefore, individuals are not fully rational because they make irrational decisions based on their desires and interests. Individuals focus on a limited amount of aspects that they believe are more essential to them than others. People are not thorough decision-makers; rather, they make decisions based on limited facts, and they do not consider the full range of consequences or benefits that a particular decision has on others.
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