Theories of decision-making

In this chapter we wish to introduce some general theories about how decisions are taken in political systems. Why is it useful to spend time on this before immersing ourselves in the case-studies? One answer to this is that any student of politics or contemporary history needs some kind of a conceptual lens through which to make sense of the mass of empirical material available to him or her. Another is that by being aware of a variety of different theoretical approaches we may add to our understanding of what happened. The same story may fruitfully be read from different perspectives. A theory of how things work or where power lies is designed to offer explanations. It is the explanatory power of a theory rather than the richness of description that is of value. At the same time all theories and general analyses must be in some degree unsatisfactory when set against the complexity of events in the real world. They are abstractions and oversimplifications and will rarely, if ever, fit snugly the awkward contours of history. In return empirical examples, let alone a single case-study, cannot serve as the basis for a theory; they may only suggest ways in which it falls short or may be modified. In our final chapter we review the theories in the light of the six case-studies. Here we set out the various competing models.