The Role of Belief Systems and Schemas in Foreign Policy Decision-Making

Whereas the study of elite political belief systems such as the operational code continues to be popular in political science, social psychologists have neglected belief systems in favor of schemas. This article compares and contrasts belief systems and schemas. Whereas both constructs are cognitive, structured, and vary with expertise, schemas are at a higher level of generality and are more closely related to complex cognitive processes. The article discusses the potential advantages of using schemas to analyze various topics in foreign policymaking, such as information processing, memory biases, and the effects of expertise.