Mutually Assured Destruction was a standing policy during the Cold War,in which the United States and the U.S.S.R.maintained and expanded nuclear arsenals beyond practical levels.What could explain such a phenomenon?
A) insane public officials who were bent on world domination
B) a prisoners' dilemma
C) a leader-follower type game
D) tacit collusion

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mutually Assured Destruction can be explained by a prisoners' dilemma, in which both sides have a dominant strategy to arm themselves, even though cooperation (by reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons) would be mutually beneficial in terms of reducing the risk of catastrophic destruction. Both sides were motivated by the fear of being attacked by the other side, and the belief that they needed a powerful deterrent to prevent such an attack. This led to a dangerous arms race that escalated to the point of MAD.

Mutually Assured Destruction Was a Standing Policy During the Cold