Brinkmanship is a political policy where one or both parties force a situation to the brink of disaster without quite going over the edge, in order to gain an advantageous negotiation position over the other. It is characterized by aggressive risk-taking policy choices that court potential disaster. The term "brink" refers to the edge or threshold of something, usually something dangerous. Brinkmanship is a gamble, where by coming close to a dangerous outcome, one hopes to get an agreement or concession that would not otherwise be possible. Examples of brinkmanship include nuclear brinksmanship between nations and the debt ceiling brinkmanship in the United States.