E-raamat: International Norm Disputes: The Link between Contestation and Norm Robustness

This timely study tests the limits of normative contestation. This team of scholars show that it is important to distinguish challenges to the application of a norm from those that challenge the very validity of the norm itself. The former may help to bring potential adherents onboard, while the latter is more likely to spell instability. This study makes an important contribution at a time when international norms seem besieged from the left and the right. * Beth Simmons, Andrea Mitchell University Professor in Law, Political Science and Business Ethics University of Pennsylvania * International Norm Disputes unpacks the effects of international norm contestation, arguing that disputes over the application of norms can shift their content, but arguments over the validity of norms can undermine them. A striking finding, across six rich and nuanced case studies, is that the clustering of norms and their embeddedness in institutions that promote procedural fairness enhance norm robustness. The book offers an important advance in our understanding of international norm dynamics. * Wayne Sandholtz, John A. McCone Chair in International Relations, Professor of International Relations and Law, University of Southern California * International Norm Disputes is the long-awaited summary of a decade of frontline research on the contestation of international norms. Combining theory development, in-depth case studies, and comparison, the book significantly advances our understanding of the normative robustness of the liberal international order. * Jonas Tallberg, Professor of Political Science University of Stockholm * This book represents a major milestone in the study of norm contestations and norm robustness. The distinction between applicatory and validity contestations specifies the conditions under which challenges to international norms strengthen or weaken international institutions. A "must read!" at a time when the liberal international order faces deep contestations! * Thomas Risse, Director, Berlin International College of Research and Graduate Training Senior Professor, Cluster of Excellence "Contestations of the Liberal Script" Freie Universität Berlin * A timely intervention in the norms literature, which will likely influence the field in a decisive manner. * Lucrecia Garcķa Iommi, International Affairs * The book bridges constructivist and legal scholarship, offering a dynamic model of norm evolution. It reframes norm contestation as a generative force in international law, revealing how ambiguity and debate sustain norms' relevance amidst changing contexts. Its typology provides a systematic tool for assessing norm strength, challenging the myth that international law requires an "apex arbiter" to be effective. For practitioners, its findings underscore the strategic importance of rhetoric and alliance-building in navigating legal disputes. * Zheng Chen, China International Strategy Review *