Sovereignty: organized hypocrisy

The acceptance of human rights and minority rights, the increasing role of international financial institutions, and globalization have led many observers to question the continued viability of the sovereign state. Here a leading expert challenges this conclusion. Stephen Krasner contends that states have never been as sovereign as some have supposed. Throughout history, rulers have been motivated by a desire to stay in power, not by some abstract adherence to international principles. Organized hypocrisy--the presence of longstanding norms that are frequently violated--has been an enduring at.

Sovereignty and its discontents -- Theories of institutions and international politics -- Rulers and ruled: minority rights -- Rulers and ruled: human rights -- Sovereign lending -- Constitutional structures and new states in the nineteenth century -- Constitutional structures and new states after 1945 -- Conclusion: not a game of chess