This course examines the constraints that politics imposes on implementing public policy. It has three major substantive themes: (1) the normative foundations of policymaking; (2) how strategic interactions give rise to social dilemmas and, in turn, creates room for governments to improve social welfare; and (3) how institutional and strategic constraints impede improvements in social welfare. The course uses the tools of economics to address these questions. It introduces students to the tools of game theory, as a method for studying strategic interactions and institutional/strategic constraints. Students also encounter empirical studies in economics, as a tool to understand how the strategic tradeoffs political actors face play out in practice.

Intended Audience:

Prerequisite: Econ 401. It is helpful but not required to also have some background in statistics or econometrics.

Class Format:

In-Person Lecture