What were some risks and advantages of the strategy of brinkmanship?

Brinkmanship is the practice of pushing something to the limits before stopping. One example in the United States is the recent government shutdown, where one side threatens shutting down the government if they don't get the policy they want and the other side threatens to block the policy.

Crossing these lines is dangerous because it can cause harm to the economy or to people. A potential benefit is getting what you want, but doing so through threats is not considered a good method.