Foundations of IR (Bueno de Mesquita, 2010)

Focus on 'leaders'

rational actors

Domestic politics

They want to keep the power

Game Theory (tool)

Choices of the leader

expectations about other leaders' choices

State vs Leader

Strategic perspective

"people, not state, make policy" (p. 3)

Neorealism

"states are interested in maximizing their security rather than their power" (p. 8)

Liberalism

"structural hierarchy is the central organizing principle of IR [...] an hegemonic state enforce norms of conduct" (p. 8)

Constructivism

How interests come into being (p. 9)

RATIONAL THEORY

non-cooperative games

The prisoner's dilemma

Extensive form games

"players negotiate and engage in strategic behavior" (2010, p. 83)

Player's interests/incentives

Strategic elements

Identify potential outcomes

How to respond to other's actions

Identify constraints

resources, unexpected events, lack of information

Tree of choices