ABSTRACT
IR is focusing on interaction of states, but it is also about people taking decisions. To which extent is studying international politics about studying rational decisions of people?
This chapter covers issues of rationality in people’s decisions about foreign policy. It deals with nuances of studying international politics brought about by its scale and multitude of levels. International events are usually resulting from a conjuncture of various factors and there is a very limited opportunity to hold experiments. That turns IR into an interdisciplinary field of science with a variety of methods applied.
Irrationality of people is also challenging. Theoretically, foreign policy decisions should be rational, but there are so many obstacles to that. Some theories provide in-depth answers to questions about rationality and its limits and deviations. Rational and irrational decision-making may require focus on behavior and application of formal methodology. Assumed rationality accompanied by occasional irrationality of practical decision-making generates a specific framework for theorizing IR.
