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Game Theory And Law: A (Lack Of) Progress Report, Richard H. Mcadams
Game Theory And Law: A (Lack Of) Progress Report, Richard H. Mcadams
Richard H. McAdams
This essay reviews the state of game theory in legal scholarship and finds that it remains excessively focused on one tool: the Prisoners’ Dilemma. I claim that this focus is not justified, that it distracts legal scholars from exploiting other insights of game theory, particularly the problem of coordination. I show how the need for coordination is as pervasive and important to law as the Prisoners’ Dilemma, illustrating with game theory discussions of constitutional law, international law, property disputes, traffic, culture, gender roles, and many other topics.
Beyond The Prisoners' Dilemma: Coordination, Equity, And Law, Richard H. Mcadams
Beyond The Prisoners' Dilemma: Coordination, Equity, And Law, Richard H. Mcadams
Richard H. McAdams
ABSTRACT: Legal scholars across all fields explore the game theoretic idea of cooperation as illustrated by the Prisoners’ Dilemma (“PD”) and its variants. By contrast, other games – especially those involving equity and coordination – have proved far less influential. Examples include the games known as Stag Hunt, Hawk-Dove, and Battle of the Sexes. After documenting a dramatic disparity in the legal literature favoring the PD game, this paper raises and rejects two possible justifications for the neglect of other games: (1) that the PD occurs more frequently than other situations; and (2) that other game situations are less important …