We are also told that the president followed the model of self-examination he uses in all of his big decisions to avoid groupthink. He rigorously "tested his assumptions" on Sotomayor, says an aide, including asking the staff to "make the case against her."from Slate.
Yet more evidence that Obama's decision-making style is aimed at getting the best advice and seeking conflicting opinions. I will have to be clearer in future posts where I disagree with what Obama does, but thus far, I am a big fan of how he operates: being clear about the tradeoffs that the country faces, exposing the various ideas (policies, appointments) to considered debate, and the like. Since the process of decision-making influences the substance, Obama's style of decision-making is more than just notable from the standpoint of social science, but critical for the evolution of US policy--foreign and domestic