Strategy and Politics

Catalog description

This course examines political behavior using social choice theory and game theory. PL SC 410 Strategy and Politics (3)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. Strategic behavior is central to politics. It is common for political outcomes to be determined by the interaction of individuals seeking goals in an environment in which goal attainment is complicated by the choices of other actors. This course introduces various methods for analyzing strategic behavior using social choice and game theories. We will employ these approaches to better understand a wide range of political phenomena in international politics, comparative politics, and American politics, such as war, terrorism, voting, electoral competition, government formation, and democratic transitions. By the end of the course, students will, among other things, have experience using games to analyze a range of political behaviors and institutions. The course assumes no prior knowledge of social choice theory or game theory.