Politics is driven by the political decisions of individuals and
groups in society.  The types of decisions that are made in any
society range from individual choices such as deciding whom to
support in a given election, to the collective choice of public
policies made by a group of public officials.   This course
introduces students to basic tools and models of social choice and
game theory to understand political decision making.  We start with a
basic theory of how individuals make their own decisions.  We build
upon the basic theory to examine the complexities that arise when
groups of people come together to make a decision.  To understand
group decision making, we will study how institutions, or the
political context in which group decisions are made, affect group
choices.  We will also explore the consequences of strategic behavior
that may arise when individuals interact or compete with other
political actors.