Interpersonal Diplomacy

Abstract Interpersonal Diplomacy argues that interpersonal relationships between state leaders—often dismissed as epiphenomenal or idiosyncratic—can, under the right conditions, transform adversarial state relations. Drawing on micro-sociological theory, the book develops a novel theory of reassurance diplomacy rooted in social bonding between dyads of leaders. Through in-depth case studies—including Kennedy and Khrushchev, Rajiv Gandhi and Zia-ul-Haq, and Benazir Bhutto and Rajiv Gandhi—the book traces how face-to-face diplomacy and alternative modalities (such as letter writing and virtual communication platforms) can foster social bonds that shape crisis decision-making. Crucially, the book theorizes not only the conditions under which interactions lead to social bonds, but also the challenges of sustaining and institutionalizing these bonds amid domestic constraints and bureaucratic skepticism. Interpersonal Diplomacy addresses key puzzles about variation in leaders’ willingness to meet, why some interpersonal encounters succeed while others fail, and how trust forged at the interpersonal level might (or might not) scale to the state level. By placing micro-interaction at the heart of macro-level change, the book offers a new framework for understanding diplomacy in an era of mounting international crises.