International Law and Norms

A collection of flashcards summarizing key terms and concepts from the lecture on International Law and Norms.

International Law

A body of rules that binds states and other agents in world politics and is considered to have the status of law.

Treaties

International agreements concluded between states, formally negotiated and governed by international law.

Customary International Law

International law that develops slowly over time as states recognize practices as appropriate and correct.

International Norms

Standards of behavior for actors that define what actions are considered ‘right’ or appropriate.

Norm Entrepreneurs

Individuals or groups that advocate for certain normative standards of behavior for states and other actors.

Reciprocity

The principle that any benefits or penalties granted by one state to another should be returned in kind.

Nuclear Taboo

A norm suggesting that nuclear weapons should not be used.

Territorial Integrity Norm

A norm stating that force should not be used to alter states’ boundaries.

Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

An emerging norm that suggests sovereignty includes the responsibility to protect all people from mass atrocities.

Transnational Advocacy Networks (TANs)

A set of individuals and NGOs acting in pursuit of a normative objective.

Norms Life Cycle

A three-stage model of how norms diffuse within a population and achieve a taken-for-granted status.

Hard Law

International laws that are obligatory, clearly defined, and delegate substantial authority to third parties.

Soft Law

International laws that are not obligatory, often ambiguous, and do not delegate significant legal authority.

Boome rang Model

A process through which NGOs in one state activate transnational linkages to bring external pressure to bear on their governments.

Obligation

The degree to which states are legally bound by an international rule.

Precision

The specification and detail of international legal obligations, determining the scope for interpretation.

Delegation

The degree to which third parties are given authority to implement, interpret, and apply international legal rules.

Norms

Collective standards of behavior that dictate how actors should behave in certain situations.