A Defence on the Prominence of Rational Actor Model within Foreign Policy Analysis

Abstract

Rational Actor Model (RAM) has continued to be a powerful explanatory theory of foreign policy analysis. Even though, limitations on the human rationality in decision-making place restrictions on its validity as a predictive model of analysis. These limitations mainly arise from false expectations from RAM as an analytical tool. Reinterpreting the mission of theories in social science would address the drawbacks associated with such false expectations from theories. A conceptual breakthrough is discussed that allows RAM to overcome the limitations upon its validity. This discussion argues on the appropriate application of RAM onto real world problems which would open space for the integration of RAM into other IR-FPA theories.