Final answer:
The bargaining model of war primarily identifies how to divide the gains from war and suggests that war results from issues like informational asymmetries and commitment challenges. Political bargaining often leads to either a stalemate or compromise, with outcomes influenced by shared goals and specifics of negotiation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The puzzle that the bargaining model of war identifies is how to divide the gains from war. The bargaining model of war addresses the conundrum of why opposing sides go to war when they could divide the potential gains from war through negotiation and avoid the costs and risks of actual conflict. The model suggests that war occurs in part because of informational asymmetries, commitment problems, and indivisibilities related to the goods in dispute.
Political bargaining plays a crucial role in resolving conflicts and determining whether the status quo changes. It often involves either a failure to reach an agreement or a compromise where neither side gets exactly what they want but arrives at a mutually acceptable solution. The bargaining model predicts that a compromise is more likely when the parties involved generally agree on the goals but differ on the specifics.
Key factors include the risk of disagreement leading to war (as illustrated by prisoner's dilemmas), the motivation to maintain an advantage or favorable status quo, and the potential for a peaceful resolution that benefits all parties involved.