This book examines the use of third-party mediation as a conflict resolution method. In an attempt to explain why some, but not all, conflicts are mediated, this work argues that diverse conflict structures are inherently different in their susceptibility to mediation attempts. By offering a systematic method for measuring the transformability of conflict structures, this book contributes to our understanding of the sufficient and necessary conditions for mediation. In addition, the study offers an analytical framework for the examination of mediation as a trilateral rational bargaining process. Although the general concept of mediation as a three-person game is not new, most studies focus on either the disputants' perspectives or the mediator's perspective. In contrast, this study integrates the perspectives of all three parties. The framework links the different stages involved in the whole process of mediation, from the onset of mediation, through the mediation strategies used, to the outcome, rather than focusing on one particular aspect. The book applies the framework to two case studies - the conflict between Israel and Egypt and the conflict between India and Pakistan - and provides new insights into these conflicts from a mediation perspective. In general, the model developed here provides a framework for systematically assessing conflicts and the options available to those involved in the mediation process. This book will be of much interest to students of conflict resolution, mediation, war and conflict studies, Asian politics, Middle Eastern politics and IR in general.

The Oxford Handbook of Behavioral Political Science sketches the landscape of a new approach to political science: Behavioral Political Science (BPS). The work in the volume shows that ideas from different fields help to explain many of the phenomena scholars have observed with respect to political decision-making and behavior that deviate from the traditional rational choice models that have dominated the field of political science for decades. Showcasing leading scholars, The Oxford Handbook of Behavioral Political Science highlights the rich theoretical and methodological underpinnings of behavioral political science research. The Handbook provides an overview of the origins and evolution of behavioral political science to date; explores its substantive and theoretical boundaries; addresses its key theoretical and methodological approaches; and summarizes key findings and insights as applied to empirical phenomena. It does so by delineating the theoretical boundaries of the field, presenting its assumptions, concepts and theories, examines how these apply empirically, and covers some of the basic methodological approaches used. This collection is a vital resource for scholars, researchers, students, and the policy community seeking to understand and utilize behavioral political science in their own work.