Book Review: Barbara Koremenos, The Continent of International Law: Explaining Agreement Design
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929917717446 |
| Published date | 01 November 2017 |
| Date | 01 November 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Book ReviewsInternational Relations |
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its aftermath. In doing so, the book convinc-
Barbara Koremenos’ new book, meanwhile,
ingly shows how the US military in particular
points in a completely opposite direction: it
has ignored at its own peril each of the three
takes at least one aspect of international law –
Clausewitzian elements of war (chance, pas-
treaty design – and, by applying a rational
sion and reason), which form the book’s ana-
choice framework, emphasises a direct prac-
lytical framework. Overreliance on their
tice-oriented approach, whereby the contextual
superior technology has further led militaries
conditions of the treaty-making process are
to persistently overestimate their own power
taken to determine the shape and form the trea-
and underestimate that of their (often non-
ties will take.
state) opponent.
Instead of haphazardly coming up with par-
The book succeeds in presenting the reader
ticular rules and conditions, states are seen as
with an intriguing (more pessimistic than
strategic rational actors that try to choose, inas-
alarmist) account of the likely impact of con-
much as they can, from among different design
nectivity on war. Betz also does an excellent
options, so as to construct an agreement that
job of synthesising the vast literature on tech-
offers lasting fulfilment of their needs. Hence,
nology and war. The author’s claim about the
public international law is not only released
changing character but enduring nature of war
from its ivory tower but also becomes an
is not original but convincing nonetheless. The
immediately practical domain that takes into
mechanisms underpinning the rather bold pre-
account a broad range of factors, such as the
diction of global carnage are only briefly dis-
nature of the contracting parties, the number of
cussed and could have been worked out in
parties, prevalent expectations for the future
greater detail. The book contains small but
and so on.
valuable insights...
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