Cross-listed with PHIL438V. Credit granted only for PHPE408O or PHIL438V.

When friends disagree about where to go for dinner or citizens choose between political candidates, how should the group decide? This course investigates the theory behind voting and collective decision-making, examining different voting methods, surprising paradoxes that arise in elections, and fundamental results about what fair group decisions can and cannot achieve. No prior background in social choice theory is assumed, though familiarity with rational choice theory and/or game theory will be helpful (e.g., PHPE 400, GVPT 390, or introductory microeconomics).