Expanding Negotiation Theory into a Framework for Dynamical Political Analysis

Abstract: How can the behavioral negotiation theory be expanded into a broader framework for understanding dynamic and complex political interactions? Traditionally, negotiation research and political analysis are two diverse fields of study. This paper argues that scholarly knowledge is ripe for integrating negotiation literature with recent advances in the social sciences, and it introduces an integrated framework (INF) for analyzing hyper-connected, fluid political settings. Drawing on Druckman’s negotiation framework (1997) and Donohue’s finite and infinite negotiations (2020) as pivotal initial constructs, the paper demonstrates the link between negotiation theory and the broader political ecosystem. It further adopts the premises of the relational turn in social sciences, using the dynamic aspects of social phenomena as a core conceptual anchor. To show the INF’s heuristic value, the paper compares traditional political analysis with INF-guided inquiry by examining political commentaries on the developments in post-Assad Syria and the Kurdish peace negotiations in Turkey.

Keywords: negotiation theory, finite infinite negotiation, processes, relational theory, dynamical political analysis