Trump’s foreign policy is unlikely to benefit from a “Madman” advantage

Nearly 50 years ago, Richard Nixon subscribed to the “Madman Theory” of international strategy; that if foreign leaders were convinced that his extreme threats were credible, then he would have greater leverage. Many commentators are now concerned that President Trump subscribes to a similar theory of international relations. But, according to new research from Roseanne McManus, Eileen Gerard, Vinuri Ranaweera, and Olivia Sztanga, the perception of “madness” may be counterproductive towards leaders achieving their desired outcome.