Game Theory and the Republican Party
I’m sure many of us have been confused as to why members of the Republican party are just now revoking their support for Trump even though he has a history of racist and sexist speech. Some of us have also been confused for a long time about why Republicans supported Trump’s nomination in the first place. Game theory can give us some insight into the thought process behind these decisions.
As to why Trump’s past statements weren’t enough for Republicans to stand against him before his nomination, social pressures within the party seemed to be the main push behind endorsing Trump. There was pressure on the members of the Republican party to support Trump as this would benefit them later when donations rolled in and, if he’s elected, could provide opportunities for appointments and access to the Trump administration. Supporting the party choice was the dominant strategy for most Republicans as going against the grain could only be detrimental to their public image and approval ratings. Since no one had an incentive to deviate from the party norm, Trump won the nomination and those who wished they could oppose him remained silent.
Now, with the release of the famed videotape in which Trump reveals that he has a history of groping women, those Republicans who have been sitting quietly are now making their opposition public. The rebellion against the party’s candidate quickly grew as the previously quiet Republicans realized they were not alone in their qualms. This rebellion, however, could be detrimental to the party overall as it will likely lead to low Republican voter turnout which may lead to the loss of party control over lower political offices. With this in mind, the best strategy for party members would be to seemingly forget the video so that Republican turnout can be improved and potentially lead to electoral success. However, Republican politicians are only looking out for their self-interest and instead will keep their distance from Trump so that they can begin restoring their reputation once the elections pass. It seems that acting on self-interest has been a strictly dominant strategy for Republicans, as people did when they remained silent before Trump’s nomination and as they are now. Ironically, by doing so members are causing detriment to their own party which may have consequences for them in the long term.