Energy policies are often highly politicized. This course offers a survey of the major theories of political economy that help explain policy choices and behavior in energy markets in the United States and overseas. Areas include collective action and public choice; state behavior and sovereignty; international political economy; behavior of complex organizations; monopoly and regulation. The course includes more than a dozen case study applications, such as U.S. policy on ethanol, safety regulation at nuclear power plants, and international collective efforts to manage global warming. The course assumes some familiarity with energy systems and policies; it is a gateway class for the natural resources track at Stanford's master degree in public policy.