Game Theory and Strategies of Conflict

3 units

How and why do states and other non-state actors bargain, cooperate, and fight? This class will explore the strategic interactions at the heart of international relations, with a focus on interstate and intrastate conflict. We will use models, primarily game theoretic models, to examine how actors make decisions when confronting friends or foes, under constraints, and in environments filled with uncertainty. This class will introduce one way of thinking about conflict in international relations, which emphasizes constructing logical (often mathematical) frameworks to answer questions like: Why do wars start and end? How do states behave in conflict? When and how does coercion work? This course counts towards the undergraduate Political Methodology OR International Politics subfield.