The big question: Most enemies loathe in peace, and so what makes warring groups different? The book and class takes you through conflict at every level—nations, political factions, ethnic groups, religions, villages, and gangs—investigating the common logics and roots.

This is also a book and class about what to do about violence. From the streets of Chicago or El Salvador to the UN Security Council, how to get warring rivals to stop the violence? And what can be done to get societies that are fragile and on the edge of fighting to be more resilient?

So you want to make the world a better place, but how? So much policy fails. So many good intentions go awry. Why? What makes for good policy? What makes it bad? This is a class on the social science of policy making—the lessons from economics, political science, sociology, and anthropology, plus the practical experiences of practitioners. 

The course focuses on policy-making in a global context, especially international policy and development. The focus is on national and local development strategies and domestic policymakers and institutions.

Over the past few decades, most low- and middle-income countries have enjoyed growing economies, more order, and greater freedom. Some countries, however, remain poor, violent, or unfree. What explains why some countries have moved along a path of “political development” while others have not?