Bruce Bueno de Mesquita is the Julius Silver Professor of Politics at New York University (NYU), Director of NYU’s Center for Conflict Resolution and Multilateral Cooperation, a Senior Fellow Emeritus at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, and the co-founder of a consulting firm that applies the principles of game theory to assist decision-makers. He received his doctorate in political science from the University of Michigan, and he has received two honorary doctorates from University of Groningen in the Netherlands and the University of Haifa in Israel. Bueno de Mesquita has also received numerous awards, including the DMZ Peace Prize for contributing to the advancement of peace in Korea and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Conflict Processes Section of the American Political Science Association. His research focuses on conflict resolution, complex negotiations, and political and economic development. Bueno de Mesquita is the author of over a dozen books, more than 120 articles, and numerous media pieces including for The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune.

Alastair Smith is a professor of political science and the Bernhardt Denmark Chair of International Relations at NYU. He received his doctorate in political science from the University of Rochester. His research focuses on international relations, comparative politics, and political economy.