“Games in Politics”
Political Science 378
Spring 2015
Location: MCK 229
Instructors: Prof. Mikhail
Myagkov, 931 PLC
TR 12:1320
Office Hours Tuesdays 845-1145
e-mail myagkov@uoregon.edu
GTF: Micah Black; micahb@uoregon.edu;
Office Hours W 11-12 PLC 837
GTF: Ksenia Bergantz;
kseniab@uoregon.edu ; Office Hours M
12-1 PLC 837
Questions for Midterm 2 are here
Questions for the first midterm exam ( 04/28) are here
Up-to-Date Scores are
here (updated 05/28)
General Description
Most political processes consist of parties (voters, politicians, … you name them) making decisions that affect various aspects of peoples and societies lives. Thus, the outcomes (and their respective utilities) for every participant depend upon everyone’s actions. It is, therefore, becomes important for each political player to affect other players’ actions in a way that the best possible outcome is attained for that player. In other words we can view “politics” as the processes by which we all try to influence each other’s behavior. In the process of influencing each other decisions we often play “games” with other people. This course focuses on the foundations of “Game Theory” as modeling tool to study these particular political situations. Some of the materials in this course are analytical – that is, they provide "tools" by which one can address a wide range of specific instances. Other materials are psychological or cognitive – that is, they address attributes of humans as they engage in politics. Finally, a part of this class will be devoted to learning about laboratory experiments design. Students will have an opportunity to participate in a laboratory experiments that would illustrate how methods and models of game theory can test political processes in a controlled laboratory environment..
Requirements and Grading
Class attendance (10%), in-class quizzes (15%), and participation in laboratory experiments (5%), two midterm exams (25% each) and a 7-9 pages final essay writing is required (20%). The quizzes will be in the form of multiple choice type questions covering basics of in-class lectures and discussions. It will be administered four times during the class. All quizzes will be open books/notes. Midterms will be on April 28th and May 21st. The essays will be due on the last day of classes.
Essays can be in the form of articles/book review from reading materials posted on class web site or (preferably) a student can pick his/her own topic of interest related to the main subject of the class. It can be a political/economic or other similar situation that can be analyzed from game theoretic point of view. During the course of the class I will provide you with multiple examples of such topics, and will provide you with a template of how to tackle them.
Students are also expected to spend at least three hours a week to search online (or elsewhere) for political examples that fit the theories and models considered in class. A list of such examples, and relative references should be submitted with the final essay.
Incompletes: All the work (essays) should be complete by the due date. An incomplete grade may be given in some cases if there is evidence of some kind of emergency (medical/family) that prevented the student from completing the work on time. It is instructor’s discretion whether or not to grant such a request. If the request is granted then the student has to sign an agreement regarding the date of work completion or a failing grade can be given.
Communications
Please, do not hesitate to stop by during my office hours.
Due to the large size of the class all questions and/or concerns should first
be emailed to one of the GTFs. If a GTF can not
resolve the issue, please contact me via email, and, very importantly, include
“PS378” into the subject line of your email.
Practical Topics (tools):
Theory of Games;
Experimental Design
Required Book:
“Analyzing Politics” by Mark Bonchek and Kenneth Shepsle
Additional
Articles to Read (required) will be posted on class web site.
Please visit this site
Daily Schedule and Readings:
Week 1. The
concepts of Modeling an Rationality. Representation of Political Processes, Components of a
Game. Prisoner’s Dilemma. Cooperation.
Readings: Shepsle 1-41.
Split or Steal Game ( Prisoners Dilemma)
Conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Game Theory
Week 2.
Representation of Political Processes (continued), Preferences and Utilities,
Group Choice Analysis, Majority Rule. Spatial Models of Majority Rule, Analysis
of Extensive Form Games, Solutions for Extensive Forms, Agendas, Condorcet
Winners
Readings: Shepsle 42-150.
Collective action in California
Excellent Article on “Math. Of Elections”
Article on Median Voter Theory
Week 3. Analysis of Strategic Form Games, Nash Equilibria, Strategic Behavior: Sophistication, Misrepresentation, and Manipulation. Voting Methods and Electoral Systems. Representation versus Governance
Redings Shepsle 156-191.
The paper on “Mindreading and Manipulation” is here
Evolution of the number of Parties
An Extensive form Game of war with Iran
A good piece on Iran’s doctrine
Week 4. Information. Games with Incomplete and
Imperfect Information. Median Voters Theory and the Importance of Public
Opinion Polls. Information Revelation, and Electoral Games with Incomplete
Information.
The
Danger of Information Breakdown between Russia and the US
Iran
Agreement and Game between the White House and Congress
What
does the left want from Hillary?
Hillary
Clinton and Median Voters Theory
An
example on Campaign Finance Game
Readings: Shepsle: 191-262.
Week
5.
Cooperation, Two-Person Cooperation ,Pork-Barreling, Cooperation
under repeated play, Inducing Cooperation. Prisoner’s Dilemma vs. Stag Hunt
model. Midterm exam.
Prisoners Dilemma in Sports and Drugs
Week 6.
Collective Action, The Problem of Representation,
Logic of Collective Action, Political Ideology and Belief Systems, Theory of
Voting and Collective Action. Models of Public Goods.
Readings: Shepsle: 262-355.
Nepal Earthquake
Victims Help Themselves
Walmart found to
be sourcing bottled water from drought-stricken California
Week 7. Bureaucracy and Intergovernmental Relations, Niskanen’s Model, Bargaining, Agenda Setting Power, Principals and Agents, Leadership. Institutions and Legislatures.
Readings: Shepsle: 356- 473
Principal Agent Model and
Financial Crisis
Australia and the
principal-agent problem
The
principal-agent problem at Apple
Week 8. Cognitive aspects of decision making. Behavioral Game
Theory and its implications for politics. Prospect Theory. Altruism and
Altruistic Punishment. Ultimatum Games.
Methods of Laboratory Experiments.
Readings: Shepsle: 473- end
Prospect Theory and Political Risk Taking
Mindreading and Manipulation in PD Games
The paper on “PD Games and Prospect Theory” is here
Original Prospect Theory paper by Kahneman
Psychology and International Relations
More TBA
News Reports Discussed in Class:
To be Added Daily.
Week 9. Experimental
Design in Political Science. Methods and Models of experimental research.
Examples: Prospect Theory; PD Games; Ultimatum Games etc.
Excellent
survey article on experimental methods in Political Science
An example
of fMRI based experiments that explain behavior in auctions
More Relevant Online Information
Prisoner’s Dilemma and “Games of Trust”
“Football Strategy and Game Theory”