Is The Donald a Game Theorist?
Criticizing Donald Trump and his campaign is almost a mainstay of our contemporary news cycle and social interactions. Pundits have highlighted his lack of a distinct or coherent policy stance on a number of key issues. However, is this just an intricate negotiation tactic?
Donald Trump has written books and given speeches that tout his negotiation skills. This article manages to make a connection between Donald Trump’s negotiation tactics and how it may be a rationale for the way his campaign is being run. It’s central message focuses on an idea former president Richard Nixon introduced into the political sphere, his “madman theory.” This theory basically states that by acting more irrational and willing to make unpredictable choices, you have a stronger position in negotiation. This simple hypothesis can be proven under certain assumptions using game theory.
Additionally, Donald Trump’s unpredictability and seemingly outlandish stances on certain issues like immigration can be used to further negotiations in America’s best interests. Political game theory often shows that a stronger and more extreme stance can push negotiations more towards one side of the table.
This article can maybe help rationalize Donald Trump’s campaign strategy to those who are not versed in political game theory. However, this goes with the assumption that the Trump campaign knows game theory and devised a tactic with this knowledge. Either way, political game theory offers a news way to approach socio-political rhetoric.