Rules of the Game: How Institutions Work (FNDS 3903)

Economic exchange happens under a wide variety of circumstances.  

This can range from: if I bash your head with a rock, I get your wooly mammoth ... to going to the grocery store to buy food ... to dating ... to the gig economy.

In this class we will discuss a wide range of institutions, analyzing exchange in pirate ships, the gig economy, the mafia, ancient Iceland, prison gangs, and ancient Athens. We will look at democracy, dictatorships and if some countries simply have the wrong borders.

This course covers topics in the disciplines of Economics and History.

Who should take this course?

Anyone looking to study exchange in a wide variety of places, both past and present. 

More about this course

Course number: FNDS 3903

Number of Credits: 3

Search UM-Dearborn Class Schedule to find out more.

Dearborn Discovery Core requirements met:  Upper-Level Writing Intensive

Meet your faculty member: Warren Anderson, Associate Professor of Economics

One of the benefits of taking a Foundations course is gaining a faculty mentor that can support you throughout your college career. Get to know Warren Anderson, faculty member for Rules of the Game: How Institutions Work.

Warren Anderson has mastered the art of making French fries and pie dough. He is an avid UK and Steelers fan. He has hiked to Macchu Picchu, ridden camels in the Sahara, and eaten food caught by a real live mermaid off the coast of South Korea (the haenyeo). He dreams of someday visiting Göbekli Tepe and visiting climbing more mountains.

Have questions about this course? Email Dr. Anderson at [email protected].