An Institutional Theory of Political Choice

Abstract This article discusses the emergence of a perspective that views rational choice and psychological concerns as allies: the institutional theory of political choice. It lays out a theoretical framework that could be used to integrate the internal and external explanatory mechanisms of a theory of political choice. It discusses behavioural economics as a model, followed by the properties of political choice sets. The number, labeling, and polarization of alternatives are examined. The article also looks at the concept of envoi.