This course addresses the political economy of weakly institutionalized settings, ranging from local community groups to international and global politics. Building on the prerequisite Political Economy for Public Policy (PPHA 30800), the course begins with the possibilities for cooperation under a lack of centralized enforcement as a way to elucidate the range and role of institutions and to understand the circumstances under which more formalized institutions are (or are not) desirable. Theoretical issues include the role of property rights, self-enforcement of rules, the design of institutions, and the role of constitutions. Representative applications include small-scale institutions to remedy common pool resource problems, criminal organizations such as the mafia and terrorist groups, conflict over institutions including civil wars, international law and institutions governing issues such as trade and finance, federalism within and between states, and cross-border public goods problems such as global warming.
