Trump’s Approach to Conflict Resolution: Effect on Disputants and Neutrals

• Published in: Negotiation journal Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 163 - 166
• Main Author: Goldberg, Stephen B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-01-2019
• Subjects: Agreements; Alternative dispute resolution; Arbitration; Border walls; Conflict resolution; Contract negotiations; Court hearings & proceedings; Courts; Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals; Disputes; Federal court decisions; Influence; Judges & magistrates; Legitimacy; Mediation; Mediators; Power; Presidents; Retaliation; Third party; Threats; Trade disputes; Trump, Donald J; United States > US
• ISSN: 0748-4526; 1571-9979
• DOI: 10.1111/nejo.12261

In Getting Disputes Resolved Ury, Brett, and Goldberg pointed out that in seeking to resolve a dispute the parties can focus on interests, rights, or power. A negotiator's focus may change in the course of attempting to resolve a dispute, beginning perhaps with a rights-based assertion that his/her position is likely to prevail if the matter goes to court or arbitration, switching to power-based threats of retaliation if the rights-based argument is unsuccessful, and ultimately making a settlement proposal that is intended to satisfy the interests of both parties. There can be little doubt that the focus of President Donald Trump's approach to the resolution of conflict is to rely on power to force the other party to accede to his demands.