Game Theory and International Politics

In international politics it is quite rare that states leave other states' reactions and decisions out in their decision-making processes when they act. Game theory represents states as actors involved in making interdependent decisions with their moves mutually affecting each other, that is, strategic uncertainty. Game theory constitutes a formal tool to analyse cooperation and conflict among states through assumptions about preferences, range of strategies and actions, and information rules. The theory by itself generates no knowledge about international politics. It must be applied. Accordingly, this course is designed with two aims in mind: first, to introduce students to the basic concepts and tools of game theory, and, second, to demonstrate how game theory can be used to make explanations in international relations. The emphasis will be upon the art of modelling and the justification of strategic interdependence among states. It is relatively easy to compute Nash equilibrium of a given game unlike building a game and justifying why it corresponds to an abstracted interaction. The finding of an equilibrium is insufficient to be successful in this course. A sound IR theory knowledge is a must in the absence of which interpretations of equilibria and game models become meaningless.