The United States and International Law: Paradoxes of Support across Contemporary Issues

The United States created many international organizations and treaties after World War II but refuses to ratify major conventions like the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. This book examines how and why the United States has engaged in each form of support across twelve issue areas, revealing patterns that shed light on behavior that often seems paradoxical at best, hypocritical at worst.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 26 July 2022
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

The United States played a pivotal role in the establishment of numerous international organizations and treaties following World War II, demonstrating a strong track record of compliance across various issue areas. However, it has chosen not to ratify significant international conventions such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. This raises the question of why the United States often appears to support international law in one way while neglecting or even violating it in another.

The United States and International Law: Paradoxes of Support across Contemporary Issues delves into the complex dynamics of the U.S. relationship with international law by categorizing five types of state support for international law: leadership, consent, internalization, compliance, and enforcement. Each of these forms follows distinct logics and carries its own set of costs and incentives. It is important to note that a state's engagement in one form of support does not necessarily imply its engagement in all other forms.

In this comprehensive volume, contributors examine how and why the United States has engaged in each form of support across twelve critical issue areas that shape twentieth- and twenty-first-century U.S. foreign policy. These issue areas include conquest, world courts, war, nuclear proliferation, trade, human rights, war crimes, torture, targeted killing, maritime law, the environment, and cybersecurity. The contributors provide in-depth discussions of U.S. foreign policy in each of these areas, shedding light on patterns that often appear paradoxical or hypocritical.

Through their findings, the book offers valuable insights into why the United States engages with international law as it does, the legacies of the Trump administration, and what we can expect from the future. It serves as a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding the complex dynamics of international relations and U.S. foreign policy.

Weight: 596g
Dimension: 151 x 228 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472055418