Ensino | Lucas Borba

The Logic of Politics

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Description

Why do rational actors, each pursuing their own interest, so often produce outcomes that none of them would choose? This course approaches political life through the lenses of rational choice theory and game theory—frameworks that model politics as strategic interaction among purposeful actors. Students learn to represent conflict and cooperation as games, to identify the incentives that structure behavior, and to trace how individual choices aggregate into collective outcomes. From voting and coalition-building to bargaining, deterrence, and the provision of public goods, the course examines how strategic reasoning illuminates the central puzzles of politics. No mathematics beyond basic arithmetic is required.

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The Politics of Mexico

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Description

Over the past three decades, Mexico has experienced profound political, economic, and social transformations, moving from a one-party system often described as a “perfect dictatorship” to a multiparty emerging democracy, while simultaneously undergoing sweeping economic restructuring and integrating into global markets through agreements like NAFTA. These changes have unfolded alongside deep turmoil, including political assassinations, revolutionary movements, and a devastating drug war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and left tens of thousands missing. This course examines these historic shifts to better understand Mexico’s current political landscape and the challenges it faces, using Mexico as a case study to explore broader questions about democratization, threats to democratic regimes, and the influence of international forces on national development. We will trace Mexico’s evolution from the colonial period to the present, comparing its trajectory with that of other countries to shed light on the dynamics of political change worldwide.

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African Politics

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Description

This course explores major themes in African politics and development. Moving chronologically, we examine the pre-colonial, colonial, post-colonial, and “third wave” transitions to democracy, highlighting the political and socioeconomic legacies each period left behind. We consider questions such as: How did the slave trade shape African societies? Why was colonialism in Africa so late and short-lived? How did independence movements give way to authoritarian regimes? What explains the push toward democracy, and has it taken root since founding elections?

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Elections and Voters Around the World

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Description

As one scholar observed, elections are the instruments of democracy. Across the world, citizens in democratic systems vote to choose their leaders. What electoral rules structure this process, and how do they shape representation? Who votes, why do they participate, and what influences their choices? How do candidates and campaigns seek to sway voters? These questions lie at the heart of political science and form the core of this course.

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