Review

"[An] important book....The particular merit of Franck's book is that it moves away from the functionalist, strategic, and game theoretic approaches that have dominated recent political science writing on international cooperation....Will be essential reading for all those concerned with the idea of international society and the scope and character of international order."-- Ethics

"Solid and well-conceived....The arguments are addressed primarily to the legal specialist, but Franck also provides valuable insights to students of world politics....The book is a useful reminder of the role of international law in world politics...[and] a good source in learning about international law....Well worth the investment of time and mental energy."-- Choice

"Franck is the first person who truly attempts in a systematic manner to make the concept of 'legitimacy' operational with regard to public international law....A beautiful and surely provocative book in a readable style....A stellar achievement."-- Netherlands International Law Review

Product Description

Although there is no international government, and no global police agency enforces the rules, nations obey international law. In this provocative study, Franck employs a broad range of historical, legal, sociological, anthropological, political, and philosophical modes of analysis to unravel the mystery of what makes states and people perceive rules as legitimate. Demonstrating that virtually all nations obey most rules nearly all of the time, Franck reveals that the more legitimate laws and institutions appear to be, the greater is their capacity for compliance. Distilling those factors which increase the perception of legitimacy, he shows how a community of rules can be fashioned from a system of sovereign states without creating a global leviathan.