Modeling Politics: Promise and Limits of Formal Models in Political Science

Mathematical modeling has a long tradition in political science going back to the time of Condorcet in the late 18^th Century. Almost all of the existing mathematical models in political science are in the rational choice tradition. Yet, in contrast to economics, rational choice modeling has remained highly controversial within the discipline. I discuss the current state of models of politics, its connection to rational choice and economics, as well as its relationship to empirical analysis. I then argue that formal modeling, suitably redefined, can offer a fruitful framework to integrate the two main research traditions in political science: formal theory and behavioralism.