How Game Theory Explains the Leaks in the Trump White House
In a relevant twist on the prisoner’s dilemma and dominant strategy, John Cassidy writes of the game theory engrained in the White House’s culture in this article from The New Yorker. He starts by laying out the prisoner’s dilemma that we discussed in class; if both prisoner’s don’t confess, they will be better off. However, when self-interest and trust are taken into consideration, it becomes more and more appealing for a prisoner to confess. Furthermore, when one prisoner will confess, it is now in your best interest as the other prisoner to confess as well. This leads to the ultimate dominant strategy of always confessing. In this article, Cassidy reframes the prisoner’s dilemma around the White House, this time recognizing leaking facts as the dominant strategy. The article goes on to explain that there is a lack of teamwork and collaboration in the White House that encourages leaking. To parallel the prisoner’s dilemma, “failing to divulge [the leaks] is akin to mutual denial.” There is a sense of rivalry in the Administration that did not exist in prior years which creates a constant awareness and suspicion of who is sharing information and more importantly, who can share it first. The article draws in another example of the prisoner’s dilemma called the Mexican Standoff where everyone is pointing guns at each other and it is “only a matter of time before someone shoots.”
This is transferable to all communities, organizations, and groups, as there is always a motivation to bring down your rival before they can do the same to you. The fact that this competition is innate in the White House is troubling and indicative of a culture that penetrates the Administration. Cassidy further expands to talk about solutions to this problem. He stresses the importance of members of the Administration to see how cooperation and trust should “emerge[s] as an equilibrium strategy.” This is overall indicative of society at large and the backstabbing tendencies around us. Because the prisoner’s dilemma emphasizes making the best choice for yourself and assuming the other will confess, Game Theory can be implemented to any and all interactions in society, as individuals will always look out for themselves and prioritize their own well-being over the possible better well-being of the group. The Dominant Strategy of confessing, or in the case of the White House leaking facts, suggests there will always be a combative aura present and a lack of trust permeating the communities around us. Even though payoff may be higher if both prisoners (or staffers) choice not to confess (or leak information), one will always see the individual benefit in confessing and recognize that the other sees that as their best strategy as well. This then leads to a dual confession and the individual consequences, lower payoffs, and societal repercussions that follow.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/how-game-theory-explains-the-leaks-in-the-trump-white-house