Many hypotheses and approaches to the study of politics have been called
theories. Theory, however, has a narrow definition with specific procedural
requirements necessitating a set of base assumptions that can be agreed upon,
and testable propositions or hypotheses logically derived from the assumptions.
A theory, then, includes generalizable statements that are predictions that can be
tested through empirical evidence obtained either by experimentation or by
systematic observation. Theory is a deductive construct.

Among the few social scientific theories in current use, many share a central
assumption: Human behavior is rational, in that a person can order a complete
(exhaustive) list of preferences in such a way as to maximize his own self
interest, and if given a choice, will choose that preference which maximizes his
interests. Furthermore, a rational person will obtain as much of his preferred
choice as he can obtain. The best known example of rationality in the social
sciences is homo economicus, the economic man of classical economic theory
who seeks to maximize his wealth.

A growing emphasis on deductive theory building is a significant factor in the
social sciences. The advantages of contemporary deductive theory construction
lie in two major areas. First, if the basic assumptions about human behavior
used are the same, then all theoretical constructions built on those assumptions
can be tied together to form a constantly expanding body of theory that is
interrelated, cumulative, and consistent. Furthermore, if the basic assumptions
are true, then it logically follows that deductive processes will result in true
propositions. These propositions are then liable to empirical testing for the
purpose of either corroborating or falsifying the theoretical work.

The second advantage of contemporary deductive theory comes from the fact
that political science can draw on the basic behavioral assumptions of rationality
that microeconomists have been using with some success over a fifty-year
period. This makes available an established body of theory that can be built
upon in the development of political theory.

Political science, then, becomes a study of how individuals make political
choices, and what the logical consequences of those choices are. Political
behavior parallels economic behavior in terms of the exchange of goods and
services in return for compensation. The differences between economics and
politics lie in the types of goods and services and of the medium and method of
compensation. In general, economics studies markets and the production and
supply of private goods, while politics studies the production, supply, and

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