rational choice

The division of, or approach to, the study of politics which treats the individual actor as the basic unit of analysis and models politics on the assumption that individuals behave rationally, or explores what would be the political outcome of rational behaviour. Rational choice writers usually define rationality narrowly in terms of transitivity and consistency of choice. An individual's choice is transitive if, given that he or she prefers A to B and B to C, he or she also prefers A to C. It is consistent if the individual always makes the same choice when presented with identical options in identical circumstances. The principal subdivisions of rational choice are public choice and social choice.