# 8. Agenda Control ## 8.5. Methodology/Refinements/Sub-species ### 8.5.1. Limit Choice Here a manipulator restricts the range of discussion and subject matter to a series of choices which they have designed in advance. The purpose is to generate a result which embodies either their desired goals or minimises the effect of not achieving the optimal result. In the case of a restriction of choices, there is no alternative for the victim but to choose from what is on offer. When the choices cannot be restricted as the manipulator would prefer, they can add unattractive alternatives or contrive to make the real alternatives unattractive. This is common practice in industrial disputes. A management seeking the redundancy of a number of employees will always start the negotiations by calling for perhaps three times the real number to be laid off. They will offer a very limited and unattractive set of choices, such as closure of the company, relocation, employee demotion etc., whilst there will be one attractive option such as a large severance payment to those affected. The union negotiator will demand zero redundancies or strike action, but the voting workers will inevitably opt for the least damaging and most available alternative when called upon to choose. Many alternative possibilities are excluded by both sides of the dispute, because the management is controlling the agenda and the union and workforce are forced to operate within the deliberately limited agenda.