Seminar in Formal Theory: American Politics Theory (Half-Term)

This course covers selected topics in modern theories of American politics using game theory. We especially focus on models of elections, legislative bargaining and lobbying. The goal is for students to (1) learn how formal theory has been applied in American politics, (2) identify contributions made by past research and the standards that define high quality work, and (3) critique existing models in ways that highlight avenues for future research. Because the course involves the application of game-theoretic techniques, students must have completed at least POL 575, or its equivalent, as well as the field seminar.