A game worth the candle

The confidence- and security-building process in Europe—an analysis of U.S. and Soviet negotiating strategies

Marilee Lawrence

Expert InsightsPublished 1986

The United States is currently negotiating with the Soviet Union and 33 other nations in the Stockholm Conference on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures and Disarmament in Europe. This study finds that the United States has been somewhat more successful in achieving its objectives than the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union thus far has little to show for its efforts but continues to participate because withdrawing might seriously damage its position in the European public opinion polls. Effective U.S. stratagems include patient adherence to "tough" proposals, strong resistance to deadline pressure, informal consultations with other delegations, and judicious use of a public commitment to a position. The United States has been less successful with stratagems involving anti-Soviet propaganda, either as a tool or an objective, and with linkage of external events to progress in the negotiations.

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Lawrence, Marilee, A game worth the candle: The confidence- and security-building process in Europe—an analysis of U.S. and Soviet negotiating strategies. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1986. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P7264.html.
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