Center for Political Studies
Institute for Social Research
University of Michigan
P.O. Box 1248
Ann Arbor, MI
48106-1248
Voice: (734) 763-1348
Fax: (734) 764-3341
Title
Compliance with the Laws of War
Abstract
This project collected data on compliance with the laws of war during interstate wars of the 20th century. Geneva and Hague Convention law seeks to regulate conduct during wartime to limit the destructiveness of war. This body of international law poses a difficult test of the ability of international law to regulate international politics because states do not have recourse to a higher sanction to enforce their agreements.
To date, two papers have been published using the data:
"When Do States Follow the Laws of War?," American Political Science Review, 101(2007):559-572.
"Compliance with the Laws of War: Dataset and Coding Rules," Conflict Management and Peace Science, 23(2006):91-113; coauthored with Hyeran Jo.
The laws of war do affect state conduct during wars. Reciprocity enforces the agreements, with joint ratification strengthening both reciprocity and compliance. Democracies are also more likely to comply if they have ratified the most recent treaty in an issue-area even if their opponent has not. Average compliance varies across issue-areas with compliance decreasing as the scope for individual violations increases.
Work continues on a formal model of how the laws of war work and a book manuscript presenting all the results.