Diplomatic Theory: A Focused Comparison Approach

Case studies are used throughout this text to find commonalities and generalize about how diplomats use negotiation to manage interstate conflict. It identifies trends in state behaviors across two main areas. First is the theory that diplomatic choices are constricted by political systems that contain several great powers but widened by systems that contain only two great powers. Second is the usefulness of standard negotiation techniques. This effort to understand commonalities across many diplomatic episodes leads to studying the effects of policy choices in different contexts, i.e., what worked in practice and what did not. The text brings together theory and praxis to provide key concepts about diplomacy and its role in conflict management.