The Negotiation Process and the Resolution of International Conflicts

P. Terrence Hopmann predicts that as the post-Cold War era progresses, diplomacy will increasingly replace military action as a means for resolving international disputes. He foresees a period dominated by many small conflicts of interest and identity - both within and between states - superseding the age of global standoff between nuclear superpowers. Hopmann contends that the avoidance of violence in these situations, and the resolution of underlying conflicts, will increasingly give centre stage to negotiation - the primary activity of diplomacy. In this comprehensive appraisal of the negotiation process, Hopmann synthesizes the vast body of literature on the subject and constructs a framework for analyzing the many dimensions of international negotiations. "The Negotiation Process and the Resolution of International Conflicts" identifies a range of theories that claim to explain the negotiation and bargaining process.
Beginning with an analysis of fundamental axioms drawn from game theory, Hopmann demonstrates the usefulness of these models for understanding bilateral bargaining, points out their many limitations, and presents newer approaches to negotiation analysis that emphasize joint problem solving rather than competitive bargaining. Explaining outcomes and incorporating the many factors that influence negotiation - asymmetrical resources and capabilities; cognition and culture; bureaucratic and political constraints; and the role of mediators, other third parties, and multiple parties in large, multilateral negotiations - Hopmann illustrates the utility of his framework with a case study of the negotiations that produced the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963.