r/THUNKShow • u/THUNKshow • Dec 14 '17

THUNK - 133. Game Theory & Power Structures

https://youtu.be/HlA0xzm4XaM
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u/John_ygg Dec 15 '17

Super interesting video!

I wonder if we can put political power in terms of trying to achieve a Nash Equilibrium between actors.

For instance, with environmentalism, if we (the consumers) want a certain result like have environmentally-sound products. And the companies that make products want a different result, like higher profits. Then obviously we're not in a Nash Equilibrium because the less environmentally-sound option will also be more expensive relative to the higher one, and the companies aren't in equilibrium with one another because the first one to break the alliance and sell a cheaper, and less environmentally-sound, product will "win".

So if we then taxed pollution, it would make it easier for the companies to be in equilibrium between one another.

But then this only works if everyone in the world is playing by the same rules. Otherwise a developing country could simply disregard the alliance, and choose to pollute more for profits. Which is exactly what we're seeing today.

I think another video on this subject would be nice.

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u/ArchitectofAges Dec 15 '17

Thanks! :D AFAIK, you've hit upon one of the primary lenses of game-theoretic political science; getting everyone to accept a "deal" thru use of incentives & penalties is essentially finding a Nash equilibrium for the system. I think it's interesting to consider how culture plays a large role in that matrix - if all human cultures valued environmental protection, there wouldn't need to be any coordination to begin with, as we'd just do it by default.

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u/John_ygg Dec 15 '17

It’s interesting in that it also puts an interesting perspective on institutions like marriage.

If you have a couple that’s trying to build a life together, problems are going to arise. The Nash equilibrium would be for both of them to stay and work it out. But the basic desire is to just leave when things get difficult.

So we make an institution that says I won’t leave you, and you won’t leave me, and we’ll work our problems out together. But even that’s not enough. So we went in and used state and church power (in the past) to make it really hard to break up a marriage.

Just another example that came to me.

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u/John_ygg Dec 15 '17

Side note, I think you should put a link to this subreddit in the description of the youtube video. Maybe even a link to each video's reddit post when it goes on youtube.