John,

Thanks again for your comments.

I do believe the rational actor model does have utility but it's always important to recognize it limitations, and, in fact, the limitations of attempting to apply any model to particular circumstances. That said, I think much depends on the character of the nation and it's particular decision-making process. Ideally one would want models tailored to the peculiarities of each nation, but that brings up another set of problems.

Americanpride,

A potential problem you may run into is that decision-making processes vary widely. For simplicity's sake, you might want to consider reducing your scope further to look at a particular category or archetype of national decision-making process.