Strategic Instincts

"A very timely book."¿Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America
How cognitive biases can guide good decision making in politics and international relations

A widespread assumption in political science and international relations is that cognitive biases¿quirks of the brain we all share as human beings¿are detrimental and responsible for policy failures, disasters, and wars. In Strategic Instincts, Dominic Johnson challenges this assumption, explaining that these nonrational behaviors can actually support favorable results in international politics and contribute to political and strategic success. By studying past examples, he considers the ways that cognitive biases act as ¿strategic instincts,¿ lending a competitive edge in policy decisions, especially under conditions of unpredictability and imperfect information.

Drawing from evolutionary theory and behavioral sciences, Johnson looks at three influential cognitive biases¿overconfidence, the fundamen