Bargaining over Proliferation

How do negotiations convince states to give up nuclear weapons programs?

Takeaway Points

1. If rising states are worried about preventive war, declining states can use the threat of the stick to convince the rising states not to build without giving up concessions.
2. If rising states find nuclear development too costly, the declining state can still give no concessions and induce the rising state not to build.
3. If rising states have a credible threat to build, declining states can offer concessions that in turn convince the rising state not to build.
4. Thus, to explain proliferation, we must explain the bargaining failure.
5. This argument is from my own work on nuclear proliferation.