An unchallenged proposal coordinates action as well as an accepted one
Evidence
Recall the man who proposed the letter R in one of the bargaining games: as long as the partner heard—and it is obvious that he heard—the letter R is the only extant proposal, and, being unchallenged, it may coordinate in default of any counterproposal nearly as well as if it had been explicitly accepted. (Even denial of it by the other party might not manage to dislodge its claim to prominence but rather simply prove his awareness of it, as long as no rival claim was made that created ambiguousness.) — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 201
Categorization
- XREF: Directly relevant to the opening Bonasera scene: the Don’s unilaterally stated terms of arbitration coordinate expectations even where no formal contract is signed — mirrors Gambetta’s account of how mafia offers become commitments in default of state law. — connects to: The first extant proposal dominates when coordination is hard in tacit games. — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 628; Desperate mutual need makes even poor signals coordinate action — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 201; The nomination of an impartial arbitrator reveals reciprocal coordination between conflicting parties