This course presents basic theories that concern models of social decision-making procedures. As a major topic, important theorems of social choice theory are to be lectured. The scope of this course includes topics of democracy, decision support, welfarism, and consequentialism. Various voting methods are also to be introduced in the course, some of them seems to be especially attractive in the information age. The aim of this course is to provide the students with an opportunity for acquiring theories about social decision making and an opportunity for developing independent research interests in this field.
Each student is expected to understand the proof of Arrow's impossibility theorem and some major theorems with majority rule.
social choice theory, Arrow's Impossibility theorem, majority rule, rationality
✔ Specialist skills | ✔ Intercultural skills | Communication skills | Critical thinking skills | ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
Many topics related social decision-making are to be learned through lectures and discussions. Students are encouraged to read related books and reference materials before attending classes. It is also advisable to spend much time to prepare for oral discussions.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Irrationality in decision making | Understand some Irrational aspects in personal and social decision makings. |
Class 2 | Notation Method of Social Choice 1 | Understand the basic notation method of preference. |
Class 3 | Notation Method of Social Choice 2 | Understand a set of results for quasi-orderings. |
Class 4 | Notation Method of Social Choice 3 | Understand the notion of compatibility. |
Class 5 | Notation Method of Social Choice 4 | Understand the notion of choice function. |
Class 6 | Rational Choice | Understand the notion of rational choice. |
Class 7 | Collective Choice Rules | Understand the notation method of collective choice rule. |
Class 8 | Pareto Comparisons | Understand the notion of Pareto comparisons. |
Class 9 | Social Welfare Function | Understand the notion of Social Welfare Function. |
Class 10 | Arrow's Impossibility Theorem | Understand the proof of Arrow's Impossibility Theorem. |
Class 11 | Social Decision Function and Possibility Theorems | Understand the notion of Social Decision Function and some of Sen's Possibility Theorems. |
Class 12 | The Notion of Majority Rule | The basic notation method for majority rule is to be introduced. Students are expected to understand the method and relating some major formula. |
Class 13 | Restricted Domain | Understand the concepts of value restriction, external restriction and limited agreement. |
Class 14 | Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Rational Choice | Understand the necessary and sufficient conditions for rational choice in using majority rule. |
Class 15 | Welfarism and Non-Welfarism | Understand the views of Welfarism and Non-Welfarism |
No textbook will be used this semester.
Amartya Sen, Collective Choice and Social Welfare, North-Holland.
During the term, small examinations are held in many times. There will also be two hand-written reports. Assessment will be based on small examinations (total 60%), and; two hand-written reports (20% each; total 40%). (Full attendance is assumed in this calculation.)
It is recommendable to finish the course Social Modeling A beforehand, although it is not a necessary condition.
Atsushi IWAI,iwai[at]gunma-u.ac.jp
Instructor's office: Rm. 813, 8 Fl., West Bldg. 9. Contact by e-mail in advance to schedule an appointment.
This course includes the content of science.