GVPT 221 Prof. David Lalman [email protected] Ofc. Hrs.: Following Class and MW 4:45 Formal Theories of Politics A citizen casts a ballot for one candidate rather than another. A political party or a candidate adopts a campaign platform. A national leader sends troops abroad. All these activities involve a strategic choice -- the theoretical and substantive core of politics that enlivens our concerns in other areas such as ethics. The problem for much of political theory is to formulate a single, unified theory of politics, rather than a smorgasbord of unconnected theories. If we view political activity as the act of choosing from the available options a course of action that leads to better circumstances, we have a starting point that looks at all of politics in the same way. This point of view is normally referred to as the "rational choice" view of politics, and the approach can be found in the fields of political science, economics, philosophy, psychology, law and sociology. In this course our focus will be on the theoretical aspects of rational choice theory in order to develop a sophisticated understanding of the basic concepts involved. The substantive areas of application range from political party behavior to public policy to the theory of voting to international conflict. Course Texts: An Economic Theory of Democracy, Downs Liberalism against Populism, Riker War and Reason, BdM and Lalman Recommended: Thinking Strategically, Dixit and Nalebuff Grading: Constructive class participation is a very important part of the course and accounts for 10% of the course grade. There will be a midterm exam counting 30% and a final examination counting 60%. The final exam will be cumulative. There will be no make-up examinations. Course Format: All students should come to class with questions and comments about the readings for discussion with your colleagues. For the type of material in this course, taking part in discussions is the best way of mastering it. What we most want to develop is an appreciation for the basic concepts and results.GVPT 221 cont. Midterm Examination October 20 Final Examination Thursday, December 16, 1:30-3:30 PM We will cover the texts (with small, noted exceptions) in the order they are listed above. Readings: Week 1 Epistemology and the Role of Theory Read: BdM and Lalman Chapter 1 Weeks 2-7 The Modeling of Individual Preferences We will develop in class some conceptual tools and illustrate their use in some simple but classic models of voting theory. Read: Downs, All (Emphasize chapters 1-8, 10) Midterm Exam October 20, (Downs, utility theory, decision theory; epistemology) Weeks 8-11 Interactive Decision Making: Game Theory We will develop some game theoretic concepts and show how to solve some games in class. Read: BdM and Lalman, Chs. 1-2. Weeks 11-15 Social Choice Theory and the Theory of Politics Read: Riker, All (Emphasize Chs. 1-5 and 10) Final Examination: Thursday, December 16, 1:30-3:30 PM The Final Exam will be