The proliferation of international institutions and their impact has become a central issue in international relations. Why do countries comply with international agreements and how do international institutions influence national policies? Most theories focus on the extent to which international institutions can wield 'carrots and sticks' directly in their relations with states. Xinyuan Dai presents an alternative framework in which they influence national policies indirectly by utilizing non-state actors (NGOs, social movements) and empowering domestic constituencies. In this way, even weak international institutions that lack 'carrots and sticks' may have powerful effects on states. Supported by empirical studies of environmental politics, human rights and economic and security issues, this book sheds fresh light on how and why international institutions matter. It will be of interest to students, scholars and policymakers in both international relations and international law.

‘Xinyuan Dai employs institutional theory in novel and creative ways to explore how variations in the interests of non-state actors and the information available to them affect the monitoring of state behavior and compliance with international regimes. International Institutions and National Policies is a 'must-read' for all serious students of multilateralism.’

Robert O. Keohane - Professor of International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University

'This is the most important contribution in some time to our understanding of why states comply with international agreements. Dai maintains the rigor of a rationalist framework but she breaks new ground in showing how international institutions can empower domestic constituencies and how these constituencies can bring pressure to bear on governments to comply.'

Oran R. Young - Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara

'Dai's analysis provides a new way to think about the mechanisms linking institutions and state policy, and should simulate further study of the role of domestic actors in the enforcement of international agreements.'

Source: The Review of International Organizations