Game Theory and the GOP primaries
This article outlines what voter behavior will likely entail in the lead-up to the 2016 GOP primaries. The author talks in particular about voter strategy. Many voters will favor certain candidates based on which views they agree with about the said candidate. However, many will vote strategically. Instead of voting for the candidate that they like, they will vote for the candidate they think will be able to win the general election.
They are trying to determine the optimal strategy, given information about how others feel about certain candidates. This is similar to game theory as learned about in class, as players seek the optimal strategy to maximize his or her payout. In this case, the payout that republicans are looking for is for their candidate to win the general election. The authors says that in 2012 many went against some of their ideological views in favor of Romney, who many thought could put up a fight in the general election. In this case, although Donald Trump is currently leading in polls, many do not feel he stands a chance in the general election. As a result, players in the “game” (voters) may start to tend to favor other candidates that many view as a strong contender, such as Jeb Bush or Ben Carson. These candidates and their supporters will look to coordinate against the Trump campaign in order to narrow the playing field, to help find a candidate that has the best chance to win the 2016 general election.