Write a 12-15 page (5,000 words, max.) paper in which you use game theory to illuminate some real world interaction. Possible topics include anything covered in any of the readings, or anything from the news, or even your own life. The interaction could be global (e.g., an international trade war) or local (e.g., a "game" you play here on campus). The goal of the assignment is to demonstrate that you understand key game-theoretic concepts (e.g., strategy; payoff; Nash equilibrium), and can use these tools to say something interesting about the real world.

Your paper should include an introduction, in which you pose a topic that you will investigate; a literature review, in which you describe what you have read on the topic; a game model, in which you identify the players, their actions, strategies, and payoffs (at least ordinal) and analyze or "solve" the game; a discussion, in which you compare the results of your analysis with observations from the real world and explain any deviations, and a conclusion, in which you summarize what you have done, pose questions for further research, critique your methodology, and/or discuss any policy implications.

Keep in mind that the key a good paper is clarity: define your terms, outline your ideas, and be prepared to revise and rewrite. Avoid making assertions or offering your opinions without evidence to back them up; use evidence such as facts taken from the real world, an authoritative source, or an analysis that logically demonstrates the implications of your model. You might want to write the introduction and conclusions after you have completed the body of the paper. No points are given for subtlety or surprise. You should prepare your audience for what you are going to do, then do it, then summarize what you have done.

You can get ideas for topics from current newspapers, journals, or magazine, or your daily interactions on campus. While some outside reading may be helpful, you are not expected to do a significant amount of additional research, and you may use course readings as your main sources. Include a bibliography and make sure to cite all your sources, including websites. You should consult The Harvard Guide to Using Sources as well as Plagiarism and the Proper Use of Sources to review rules of proper citation.