POL41660 Principles of Int. Politics

Academic Year 2017/2018

This course aims to explore topics in international politics from a rationalist perspective using game theory and formal modelling to provide insight into the strategic choices faced by actors in different international political settings. Fundamental to this undertaking is understanding the strategic incentives faced by actors in different situations through the use of formal rationalist models and games from game theory. We will first set out a rationalist framework in which political leaders are motivated to fulfil their preferences for power and policy, but face strategic challenges and trade offs in doing so. Once the basic set of concepts and tools making up a rationalist perspective on international politics has been outlined, we will then apply this framework to a multitude of topics in international politics, including the causes and consequences of war and peace, the role of international organisations, the determinants of international negotiations, and the interplay between domestic and international concerns for political actors situated in both realms.