The extraordinary success of transnational anti-apartheid activists in generating great power sanctions against South Africa offers ample evidence that norms, independent of strategic and economic considerations, are an important factor in determining states’ policies. The crucial role of a strengthened global norm of racial equality in motivating U.S. anti-apartheid sanctions illustrates the limitations of conventional international relations theories, which rely primarily on structural and material interest explanations, and supports theoretically derived constructivist claims. In particular, this case suggests that analysts should examine the role of global norms in defining states’ interests, rather than viewing norms solely as external constraints on state behavior.
Norms Reconstituting Interests: Global Racial Equality and US Sanctions Against South Africa
Related Resources
-
Implications of Cryptocurrency Energy Usage on Climate Change
Zhang, Dongna, Xihui Haviour Chen, Chi Keung Lau, and Bing Xu. 2023. “Implications of Cryptocurrency Energy Usage on Climate Change.” Technological Forecasting and Social Change 187: 122219.
- Authors with Diverse Backgrounds
-
How Much Does Racial Bias Affect Mortgage Lending? Evidence from Human and Algorithmic Credit Decisions
Bhutta, Neil and Hizmo, Aurel and Ringo, Daniel. 2022. “How Much Does Racial Bias Affect Mortgage Lending? Evidence from Human and Algorithmic Credit Decisions.” FEDS Working Paper No. 2022-67, SSRN
- Open Source Results
- Authors with Diverse Backgrounds