I guess I should address my replies to specific people. The comments on math were not directed at Miyake as much as the other two comments.

Professor Miyake: One problem here is that I am only familiar with the applications of rat choice to political science. I am not attacking economics except perhaps incidentally. I also have trouble getting interested in the examples you offer. The idea of dealing with a concrete example is attractive. If I were real bright (and wide awake) I would come up with an example that serves my argument. Maybe tommorrow.

Professor Birnbaum: Deep down I really dont think preferences are all that important. I know this makes me really wierd, but my analysis of political events does not depend on knowing what any given actor is after or some assumption about what people maximize. For the most part, if you know what the options facing a political actor are at the moment, the answer is simple. Even then they sometimes make huge errors.
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