Stages, turning points, and crises: negotiating military base rights, Spain and the United States

Daniel Druckman*

*Corresponding author for this work

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99 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A framework for the analysis of processes of international negotiations is described. It construes the process as an unfolding set of stages in which turning points and crises mark passage from one stage to another. This sequence is driven by certain factors that influence negotiator activities and rhetoric. The framework is applied to the bilateral negotiations between Spain and the United States over military base rights (1975-1976). A pattern of influences and events is shown to resemble a balancing process, alternating between an intensifying influence (lack of coordination within a delegation) and a moderating influence (high-level meetings to produce a framework agreement) on the conflict. Content analysis of the discussions suggests an indicator of forthcoming impasses: A large difference between the delegations in hard or soft behavior preceded an impasse in the next round. This pattern of responsiveness has been observed in other negotiating contexts and is referred to as “threshold-adjustment.” Implications of these findings for a general model of negotiating behavior are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)327-360
Number of pages34
JournalJournal of Conflict Resolution
Volume30
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1986
Externally publishedYes

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  • Base rights negotiation

    Druckman, D., 2023, Negotiation, identity, and justice: pathways to agreement. London ; New York: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, p. 144-174 31 p. (Routledge Studies in Security and Conflict Management).

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