Current Studies of the Decision Process

Automation Versus Creativity

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3268181
AutoresHarold D Lasswell (Yale University and Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, autor de correspondencia)
Año1955
Volumen8
Número3
Páginas381
Fecha de publicación1955-09-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaThe Western Political Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0043-4078 • E-ISSN: 2325-8675
EditorialJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/442894
OpenAlexW4249951572
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas17

A REMARKABLE convergence of interest on the study of is occurring in political science and in the behavior sciences generally. Among political scientists this is reflected in the volume of publication devoted to the theory and practice of decision-making and execution.' The purpose of the present discussion is to call attention to many lines of approach now current among behavior scientists and to raise issues of particular concern to the professional student of government. We begin by outlining a set of categories that appear to be consonant with the modern study of decisions by political scientists and jurists and proceed then to look into more technical questions of method. It is recognized that the term choice is appropriately applied to situations in which the individual or the group has at least a minimum degree of freedom in selecting or interpreting goals and strategies. Political scientists use the conception of a process in two senses. Broadly conceived, a is the political act of the whole body politic. Narrowly viewed, it is the face-to-face determination of controversial or uncertain courses of action. In the broader sense, the body politic is making decisions when legislatures, executives, administrative agencies, and judicial organs vote; when wars and uprisings succeed or fail; and when the entire electorate commits itself at the polls. All decisions are interactions in the social process; and they involve community coercion. The role of coercion is obvious in the case of victory or defeat in war or revolution. It is less evident in the case of legislation or court decision; however, it is usually assumed that community coercion will be applied against the violator of a statute. Coercion in the name of the community takes many forms, such as deprivations of life, liberty, and property. When speaking technically we may reserve the word decision for the choices made in the political process. They involve sanctions (that is, severe actual or potential deprivations). Whether we are thinking of a body politic as a whole or of face-to-face situations we are considering arenas in which participants are striving to accomplish their purposes by influencing outcomes. The purposes are directed toward preferred events (values and interpretations of

Automation · Body politic · Coercion (linguistics) · Creativity · Face (sociological concept) · Government (linguistics) · Law and economics · Legislature · Political science · Politics · Process (computing) · Process management · Programming language · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · Victory · Big Data and Business Intelligence · Computer Science · Engineering · European and International Law Studies · Law · Mechanical Engineering · Psychology · Social Psychology