ABSTRACT
When we think about the decisions made by our government, we typically imagine a single individual-usually a president or prime minister-sitting at a desk and reviewing various options. We often also imagine decisions being made in an idealized fashion, in the manner envisioned by the Homo economicus approach. After suitable deliberation, the leader then selects the option that seems most likely to meet whatever political and policy objective has been set. And on some occasions, this scenario does at least resemble how decisions are made at the highest levels. When Ronald Reagan was president, for instance, he reportedly liked to be handed a single sheet of paper with a list of alternatives on it. He would then tick the box next to his preferred option. Reagan rarely delved down into the lower levels of his administration or read lengthy memoranda. Though he had a far greater appetite for information than Reagan did, President Richard Nixon would also reportedly make decisions largely in isolation from others, hunkering down in the Oval Office away from most of his Cabinet colleagues. His “loner” personality led him to select a system of White House management that reinforced his solitude, a factor which many believe contributed to his ultimate downfall.
