Course List

Throughout the developing world, citizens face issues such as poverty, crime and violence, and environmental degradation. Governments' abilities to address these problems, however, are shaped by the political institutions in which they work, the capacity of the states they lead, and the incentives that they face. In this course we examine how institutions such as party systems, federalism, clientelism, and bureaucracy affect politicians' willingness and capacity to address developmental challenges. We draw on country cases from around the world, such as Brazil, South Africa, and India, to more closely examine these causal relationships. In the final section of the course, we shift our attention to China to study policymaking in a unique authoritarian context.

This lecture analyzes the logic and practice of international negotiations. What strategies do states use? What works, what does not and why? And, how can we learn from theory and history to advise current negotiators? The course relies heavily on game-theoretic notions but doesn\'t require any proper exposure to mathematical background. Commitment, credibility and bargaining power are some of the concepts that will be central in this class. Applications to the real world (WTO, crisis negotiations) will be particularly emphasized to illustrate the theoretical notions introduced.