Course Listing

Introduction to game theory with applications to political science, economics and sociology. Topics include preference theory, expected utility theory, Nash equilibria, subgame perfection, repeated games, folk theorems, and evolutionary stability.

A basic introduction to the full range of international organizations that have come into being over the past century and one-half, including those that aspire to be universal or global, those with a geopolitical or regional focus, and those that address specific structural or functional areas of human endeavor or issue areas.

Seminar in International Relations and World Politics

This course will explore international relations in East Asia, focusing mostly on Northeast Asia.
The course will provide some background on the evolution of international politics in the region
over the past several decades, and will examine several contemporary issues—including the
North Korean nuclear issue, the relationship across the Taiwan Strait, and the maritime
disputes in the East and South China Seas—in depth. The last several weeks of the course will
use insights from international relations theory to examine a series of topics pertaining to the
region, including: prospects for a security dilemma in contemporary East Asia; the risks of
military conflict in the region; the effect of nationalism and audience costs on the foreign policy
of countries in the region; the role of history and historical memory in regional interstate
relations; etc.

The rise of global corporations is one of the distinctive features of globalization. What are the origins of the modern global corporation? What is their impact on politics, society and the economy? This course seeks to convey a sophisticated understanding that goes beyond bumper stickers maligning corporations or celebrating unfettered capitalism, to deepen the students understanding of multinationals as complex and powerful organizations, and to learn a variety of perspectives on multinational corporate activity.

Seminar for students in the GVPT Honors program. Topics vary.

This course is an advanced seminar on nationalism and ethnic conflict. Students are expected to gain an understanding of the major causes and consequences of ethnic, nationalist, and separatist conflict.

This course is an advanced seminar on nonviolent resistance. Students are expected to gain an understanding of the major causes, dynamics, and consequences of nonviolent resistance. Additionally, students will learn how to interpret and evaluate social science research. The course will focus on both theoretical approaches to nonviolence and the scientific study of nonviolence. The course will also explore empirical trends in nonviolent resistance.