Contributions of game theory to the international relations literature

This article is an introduction to the applications of game theory in international studies and makes an evaluation of what is added by using it. I illustrate the benefits of incorporating the instrumental rationality assumption and formal methods to international studies via giving examples from the literature. I argue that despite its relative infancy in the field, use of game theory have greatly contributed to our understanding and explanations of international relations. First, the assumptions of the theory are discussed. Second, some commonly used games from the literature are presented. A short literature review is followed by a discussion of what is added by using game theory in international relations studies. Finally, criticisms, limitations and future of game theory are discussed.