Describe the Prisoner's Dilemma and discuss how it relates to arms control. Do you see any practical methods for escaping this dilemma with regard to arms control agreements? How might nonstate organizations such as the United Nations change the nature of the game? How might the prisoner's decision be altered if he or she abides by realist theory? By liberal theory? By constructivist theory?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The logic underlying the well­known "Prisoner's Dilemma" illuminates the
circumstantial barriers to international cooperation that exist among distrustful
transnational actors. To illustrate, imagine that two suspects following an armed
robbery are taken into police custody and placed in separate cells by the district
attorney, who is certain that they are guilty but only has sufficient evidence to convict
them on an illegal weapons charge. The district attorney tells both prisoners that there
are two choices: confess to the robbery or remain silent. If one prisoner confesses and
the other doesn't, he will be given immunity from prosecution for providing evidence,
whereas his accomplice will get a sentence of 10 years in prison. If both confess, they
will be given a reduced sentence of five years. If neither confesses, they each will be
convicted on the weapons charge but serve only six months in prison.