neither a game theoretic nor ir person, i nevertheless have some familiarity with both...
given that force & economic instruments are major techniques states have to translate potential power into actual power, economic & military strategists point to ostensible advantages that game theory provides them in systematically analyzing choices states make and probable outcomes: game theory simplifies complex choices states make, it forces systematic examine assumptions, helping to clarify choices and offering possibilities that may have been ignored, it helps people see other positions... of course, game theory make some critical assumptions: it assumes unitary state in which internal factors play little role in determining preferences, it assumes unitary state act rationally (that states choose best option available), it gives arbitrary payoff structures in advance (in reality, of course, states do not know relative values attached to various choices or those of other side), it assumes that games occurs one time (actual international relations is extended set of games between same actors, thus, outcome of multiple iterations - in which knowing choice at one point in time helps each side to predict other's choice in subsequent period - may be quite different that one time encounter)... michael hoover
