Diplomacy's Value

Brian C. Rathbun sets forth a comprehensive theory of diplomacy, based on his understanding that political leaders have distinct diplomatic styles: coercive bargaining, reasoned dialogue, and pragmatic statecraft.

Brian C. Rathbun is Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California. He is the author of Partisan Interventions: European Party Politics and Peace Enforcement in the Balkans, also from Cornell, and Trust in International Cooperation: International Security Institutions, Domestic Politics, and American Multilateralism.

Rathbun argues that policy makers should think of realism, rationalism, and liberalism not as theories that capture the singular essence of diplomacy but as sets of prescriptions that guide behavior. Summing Up: Recommended.

Alastair Iain Johnston, The Laine Professor of China in World Affairs, Harvard University:

The social scientific study of diplomacy (the activity that most states engage in most of the time) is remarkably unstudied. Brian C. Rathbun's very smart book seeks to remedy this problem. Drawing on a sophisticated understanding of social psychology he develops an explanation for variation in negotiation outcomes that is rooted in the distribution of negotiation styles, which in turn are rooted in the social and epistemic motivations of diplomats. Rathbun redirects our attention away from the indeterminant effects of distribution of power and interests on diplomacy to the traits and characteristics of the individuals who actually engage in diplomacy. This is cutting-edge work.

Valerie M. Hudson, Professor and George H. W. Bush Chair, The Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University, author of Foreign Policy Analysis: Classic and Contemporary Theory:

In this immensely useful volume, Brian C. Rathbun develops a theory of diplomacy as agency. Drawing on insights from social and cognitive psychology, coupled with a keen eye for the intricacies of coalition politics, he illuminates how particular diplomatic styles emerge and change over time, and how these interact to either frustrate or facilitate joint gains in negotiation. I, for one, will never look at the Treaty of Locarno the same way after reading Rathbun's work, and his analysis of that agreement offers important insights for contemporary diplomatic negotiations.

Joseph Grieco, Duke University:

In Diplomacy's Value, Brian C. Rathbun offers us a beautifully written study of the importance of different styles of diplomacy in resolving seemingly intractable political-military problems. Combining theoretical acuity, sophisticated research design, and thorough historical analysis of European diplomacy in the immediate years after World War I, and relations between Israelis and Palestinians in more recent years, Rathbun shows how pragmatic or reasoned dialogue are types of diplomacy that are more likely to produce peaceful resolutions to political-security problems than is coercive diplomacy. Diplomacy's Value will be of great interest and lasting benefit to anyone who is interested in international relations theory, diplomatic history, or foreign policy.

Jonathan Mercer, University of Washington, author of Reputation and International Politics:

Brian C. Rathbun's theoretically ambitious and richly empirical book makes evident 'diplomacy’s value.' By layering competing theories of international politics on top of a simple but powerful psychological foundation, Rathbun generates an elegant theory of diplomacy. This book is an exciting and important contribution to IR theory, political psychology, and European diplomatic history.