State, Anarchy and Collective Decisions: Some Applications of Game Theory to Political Economy

This book provides an introduction to the applications of game theory to a series of questions that are fundamental in political economy. These questions include: Why do we need states? What might happen without protection for life and property? How might tribes or criminal gangs behave in struggles over material possessions? Would people tell the truth if asked what they wanted? Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 11 1 State, Anarchy and Game Theory......Page 16 2 Security in the Hobbesian State of Nature and Related Non-Co-operative Games......Page 40 3 Security and Material Possessions in a Lockean State of Nature - Non-Co-operative Games......Page 60 4 Struggles over Property with Stealing, Production and Guarding - Non-Co-operative Games......Page 80 5 Problems of Reputation and Markets for Protection - Non-Co-operative Games......Page 101 6 Evolutionary Stable Strategies......Page 115 7 Collective Decisions and the Core - Co-operative Games......Page 127 8 Welfare and the Strategies of Preference Revelation......Page 147 9 Voting Rules and Strategic Manipulation......Page 164 Notes......Page 181 References......Page 185 Index......Page 189 "State, Anarchy and Collective Decisions provides an introduction to the application of game theory to a series of questions that are fundamental in political economy. These questions include: Why do we need states? What might happen without protection for life and property? How might tribes or criminal gangs behave in struggles over material possessions? Would people tell the truth if asked what they wanted? This book will be of particular interest to political scientists, sociologists and economists."--BOOK JACKET. Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved State, Anarchy and Collective Decisions provides an introduction to the applications of game theory to a series of questions that are fundamental in political economy. These questions include: Why do we need states? What might happen without protection for life and property? How might tribes or criminal gangs behave in struggles over material possessions? Would people tell the truth if asked what they wanted?