An American negotiates for a car, for a house, and for a place within the society. Negotiation is engraved in the informal social relations of the American culture and embedded in the institutional design of the American state. However, given the past authoritarian structure in the post-Communist countries and the current political hardships on the course of democratization, currently negotiation is not a frequently used strategy in that region. However, its role in dealing with the democratization processes, ethnic strife, and globalization trends affecting the region is extremely urgent. The rapid social changes in the region require adequate adjustments in the decision-making modes in both formal governance structures and the informal public realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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