Unit 3: Heuristics

This week you read about heuristics or mental shortcuts that allow people to make a political judgment with limited information.

Discussion Prompt

Identify two specific examples of how an individual could employ heuristics to reach a decision about a candidate or a policy based on the Kuklinski and Quirk reading.

Initial Post

In 150 – 250 words, consider the following:

• whether the heuristic led the individual to an appropriate or inappropriate conclusion
• whether you see the “shortcut” as a sign of competence or incompetence
• speculate on how these “shortcut” judgments might impact our political system and how political leaders communicate with the public