Steven J. Brams

Steven J. Brams, professor in the department of politics at New York University, will study "fallback bargaining" as a facilitator of compromise in negotiations. In contrast to the give-and-take of traditional negotiations, parties in fallback bargaining retreat to successively less preferred positions until they agree on a middling outcome. Brams will develop the theoretical and normative properties of fallback bargaining and will investigate such practical concerns as: Does the occurrence of an impasse make closure more difficult, or does it help avoid inequitable outcomes? When should unanimous consent be required for binding agreement? Brams will analyze the applicability of fallback bargaining to domestic and international disputes.