International Law and Game Theory
(with a focus on security issues)
Fall 2005
Christopher K. Butler, Instructor

General PS 499 Guidelines

Independent study is a readings and research course investigating a selected topic not covered in regular courses. A student should expect to work at least as hard as he/she would in any other upper division course. Course requirements will be agreed upon between the student and the instructor. The faculty has adopted the following guidelines for course requirements:

  1. A student should complete directed readings equivalent to at least one-half (1/2) the readings normally assigned to an honors pro-seminar. The student should submit a copy of this reading list ot the instructor by the end of the first week of classes.
  2. The student should complete a seminar-length paper (approximately twenty (20) pages), demonstrating research beyond the directed readings. A student may substitute additional directed readings for part or all of the research paper.

Directed Readings

A list of articles and their abstracts provided to the student at a pre-semester meeting will form the basis of the directed readings. The student is expected to sift through this list and construct a rough schedule of readings, beginning with review articles pertaining to the overall subject matter and then moving on to articles applying game theory to particular research problems.

Other Required Reading

Baird, Douglas G., Robert H. Gertner, and Randal C. Picker. 1994. Game Theory and the Law. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Meetings

The student should meet with the instructor once a week to review readings, review progress on the research project, and address any problems with the research project and/or understanding the material. A regular meeting time of thirty minutes to one hour is preferred.

Assignments

For each week that directed readings have been assigned, the student should prepare a formal summary of the readings (typed, in prose, of approximately one paragraph per article or chapter). It is highly recommended that the student keep a notebook for this course containing more general notes, research ideas, quotations, citations to other research, and questions regarding the reading as the student as doing the reading. The notebook will also be useful during meetings with the instructor.

Research Project