Course Description

This is an introductory course to game theory. I will discuss what game theory is and isn’t, and why political scientists need to understand formal theory even in the era of big data. I will cover the fundamental concepts of game theory, including Nash Equilibrium in pure and mixed strate- gies, Subgame Perfect Nash Equilibrium, Bayesian Nash Equilibrium, Perfect Bayesian Nash Equilibrium, information asymmetry, signaling games and reputation. We will discuss applica- tions of game theory in political science research and decision-making in general throughout the semester. Student will learn to read formal notations and solve simple games. Prior knowledge of calculus is not prerequisite.

Required Textbook

• Watson, Joel. 2013. Strategy: An Introduction to Game Theory. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Please find the syllabus here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uu5h6obvrsm513q/PS3116%20Syllabus.pdf?dl=0