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Showing posts with the label electoral politics

Decision Making as Output and Bounded Rationality

  The classical economics theories proceed on the assumption of rational agents. Rationality implies the economic agents undertake actions or exercise choices based on the cost-benefit analysis they undertake. The assumption further posits that there exists no information asymmetry and thus the agent is aware of all the costs and benefits associated with the choice he or she has exercised. The behavioral school contested the decision stating the decisions in practice are often irrational. Implied there is a continuous departure from rationality. Rationality in the views of the behavioral school is more an exception to the norm rather a rule. The past posts have discussed the limitations of this view by the behavioral school. Economics has often posited rationality in the context in which the choices are exercised rather than theoretical abstract view of rational action. Rational action in theory seems to be grounded in zero restraint situation yet in practice, there are numerous restra

BJP and Conquering New Territories: Some Notes

  A 2013 post “ Deciphering the Strategic Logic of Electoral Alliances ” discussed in substance the theoretical underpinnings of a political party choosing to go for in for electoral alliances for short term gains. There are push factors and pull factors that come into play. These were sought to be analysed through the prism of management theories how needs of both the national party eager into an alliance and the regional political force which too would be equally keen to enter into an alliance. To a political party making a headway in a state is always going to be difficult. It would be easier to make the first wave of gaining let us say around 10-15% of the vote in a wave election or so but would rather be long climb with returns operating at a decreasing scale till it hits around 35-40% wherein the party is in a position to have a strike at the government formation. These long years which yield sub optimal returns are difficult to keep the party workers motivated. Similarly to regi