Game theory is the systematic (formal) modeling and analysis of strategic interactions between decisionmakers, such as individuals, firms, and governments. This course provides an introduction to modeling techniques from game theory with greater focus on ‘real-world’ applications than mathematical details. In this course, we will learn some canonical models and use them to explain a variety of economic, social, and political phenomena. Topics include: electoral competition, the provision of public goods, environmental protection, fads and social norms, trust, and discrimination.
Behavioural economics is a field which strives to introduce more psychologically realistic and less restrictive assumptions about human behaviour into economics, and experimental economics is a methodological movement which uses controlled experiments in the lab and in the field as a tool to cleanly identify the causal mechanisms behind observed behaviour. These two topics are often taught together as in this course as behavioural economists were among the early adopters of experimental methods and experimental findings continue to influence the theories that behavioural economists develop. This course provides an introduction to behavioural economics, highlighting deviations from the ‘ECO101’ model of human behaviour and to experimental economics, focusing on the twin goals of internal and external validity.