Book contents
- Perceptions of State
- Perceptions of State
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Tables
- Preface and Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Background Literature
- 3 State Compliance with International Law
- 4 Compliance by the United States
- 5 The Role of International Law in State Department Policymaking
- 6 The Trump Administration and International Law in the State Department
- 7 Conclusion
- Appendix Interview Subjects
- Index
1 - Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 June 2024
- Perceptions of State
- Perceptions of State
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Tables
- Preface and Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Background Literature
- 3 State Compliance with International Law
- 4 Compliance by the United States
- 5 The Role of International Law in State Department Policymaking
- 6 The Trump Administration and International Law in the State Department
- 7 Conclusion
- Appendix Interview Subjects
- Index
Summary
Why, to what extent, and under what conditions are states more or less likely to comply with international law? No overarching state compels compliance. Compared to domestic law, the international institutional context is thin; courts and tribunals are limited in their jurisdiction and relatively uncoordinated. International law, moreover, is plagued by ambiguity. Treaties may be the most certain source of international law rules because they are in writing, but the language of treaties is not always clear and can be purposefully vague, giving states discretion in applying them. Non-treaty norms are even more subject to ambiguity. Why, indeed, should states ever comply? Yet they seem to, much of the time. How do we explain this behavior?
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Perceptions of StateThe US State Department and International Law, pp. 1 - 23Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024