According to those who taught the non-credit course in "Offensive Driving for Newcomers" in the Massachusetts Universities when I was there, different rules apply for ordinary cross-street intersections there.

There, the rule is that the first one who admits seeing another vehicle must yield to that vehicle.

The "admission" is obvious if you look in their direction, but other more subtle indications are frequently applied.

It is suggested that "yielding" means just slowing down, since coming to a full stop means that you have yielded to all crossing traffic until there aren't any more of them (which almost never happens).

Elsewhere, it is pretty much universal that the one approaching first has the right of way, or in case of a "tie" the one "on the right" goes. "Four-way" stops are fairly common in the US, and there it's whoever comes to a full stop first goes on through first. (And in case of a tie, it's the one on your right that you must yield for.)

John