Sociology 4: Comparing Political Culture and Rational Choice Theories

This essay examines and compares two prominent sociological theories: political culture and rational choice. The author defines political culture as a set of attitudes and practices shaping political behavior, contrasting it with rational choice theory, which explains social phenomena as outcomes of rational individual choices. The essay argues in favor of rational choice theory as a better explanation of politics, emphasizing that individuals make choices based on rational calculations to achieve personal objectives rather than cultural influences. The author supports this claim by highlighting the application of rational choice theory in mainstream economics and illustrating how voters' behaviors shift during economic crises, often prioritizing economic utility over cultural norms. The essay uses a hypothetical scenario involving a nation with a dominant political party facing economic hardship to illustrate the argument, suggesting that in such a situation, people would likely act according to rational choice, making the two theories incompatible. The essay concludes by referencing relevant academic sources.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
Sociology
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Compare political culture and rational choice as theories.
The political culture can be defined asset of attitudes as well as practices held by an individual
that shapes their political behaviors. The classic political culture theory chiefly combines the
political culture and behavior at the subjective level of the individual citizens by atomizing the
levels with the help of which attitudes are measured. The political culture can be segregated in
top three dominant subcultures that include the moralistic political culture, the traditionalistic
political culture and the individualistic political culture1.
On the other hand the rational choice theory chiefly explains the social phenomena as the
outcomes of individual choice that can be constructed to be rational. Unlike the political cultures,
the theory of rational choices cannot be segregated into subparts. In this theory, choices are
rational if they meet some consistency criterion as being defined by a decision theory. For the
rational choice theorists, culture and history are irrelevant for understanding the political
behavior. According to the theorists, it is sufficient for knowing the interest of the actors as well
as for assuming that they pursue them in a rational way.
Which represents a better explanation of politics, and why?
While both the theories possess their own perspective, as per my opinion, the rational choice
theories represent a better explanation of politics. The rational choice theory states that an
individuals make a choice not based on the a specific culture but chiefly on the basis of the
rational calculations for making achievements that are aligned with his or her own persona
objectives. In order to justify the claim it can be said that a good number of mainstream
economic assumption has been done on the basis of the rational choice theory, the theory is
1 Eckstein, Harry. "Social science as cultural science, rational choice as metaphysics." In Culture matters, pp. 21-44.
Routledge, 2018.

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based on the assumption of involvement from the rational actors that are individual in an
economy. Thy being a rational actor tries to maximize her advantages with the help of using
rational information. The relationship between politics and the rational choice theory takes a
good number of forms, be it the behaviors of the voters, the actions performed by the world
leaders. One of the major examples of the significance of the rational thinking theory in politics
is when the behavior of the voters shifts specially during any economic trouble. According to the
political culture theory, voters are supposed to vote on the basis of the culture as well as their
political behavior2. However, if this theory holds, it would not been possible for political parties
to compete against each other. However, in reality voters, especially in crisis situation are found
to act on the basis of their rational thoughts. According to researchers, voters vote for the pry
who he or she believes will be able to provide him with the highest utility income from the
government action. This can be considered as a significant simplification of how the theory has
influenced, reflected a well as explained politics in a more realistic and rational way.
Use a puzzling political situation to illustrate your argument. To what extent are the two
theories incompatible with each other?
In order to illustrate the argument, let us consider a situation that involves a nation where a
particular political party has got elected for more than 10 times. Thus it can be clearly
understood that the political culture as well as behavior of the residents of the nation is highly
influenced by that particular party. However, it has been found that the particular nation is
suffering from major economic crisis due to lack of efficiency of the existing political leaders.
The situation is found to be getting worse day by day and this in turn is imposing negative
2 Opp, Karl-Dieter. The rationality of political protest: A comparative analysis of rational choice theory. Routledge,
2019.

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impact on the GDP as well as per capita income of the nation. In this critical stage, as per the
political culture theory, people will be continuing voting for the party which has established
government in the nation. However, according to the rational choice theory, people will be acting
as well as thinking rationally instead of following their political behavior. In this scenario, more
and more voters will end up voting for opponent parties who they think will be can be to ensure
improvement of the economic condition of the nation3. Thus it can be said that in this puzzling
situation people are more likely to follow the rational choice theory instead of the political
behavior theory. Thus it can also be said that these two theories are highly incompatible with
each other.
3 Hedström, Peter, and Charlotta Stern. "Rational Choice Theory." The Wiley
‐Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social
Theory (2017): 1-7.

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Reference list
Eckstein, Harry. "Social science as cultural science, rational choice as metaphysics." In Culture
matters, pp. 21-44. Routledge, 2018.
Hedström, Peter, and Charlotta Stern. "Rational Choice Theory." The Wiley
‐Blackwell
Encyclopedia of Social Theory (2017): 1-7.
Opp, Karl-Dieter. The rationality of political protest: A comparative analysis of rational choice
theory. Routledge, 2019.