When the State No Longer Kills: International Human Rights Norms and Abolition of Capital Punishment(SUNY series in Human Rights)

Despite public support for the death penalty, a remarkable number of countries in different parts of the world have banned capital punishment in all its forms, regardless of the nature of the crime or the criminal. Arguing that international norms are often a critical source of ideas for change in state policy, but that impact varies greatly, Sangmin Bae offers a systemic explanation of how, when, and under what conditions a country complies with international norms. She examines four countries that reached different stages of norm compliance with respect to the death penalty—Ukraine, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States. Focusing on the role of political leadership and domestic political institutions, Bae clarifies the causal mechanisms that lead to state compliance or noncompliance with the norm.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures and Tables Foreword Preface 1. INTRODUCTION: PROHIBITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY AS A HUMAN RIGHTS NORM International Standards Prohibiting Capital Punishment International Norms in International Relations Research Methodological and Analytical Issues 2. UKRAINE The Council of Europe and the Death-Penalty-Free Zone Political Turbulence and Rising Crime Rates Ukraine's Resistance to the Council of Europe Public Opinion on the Death Penalty Controversy The Process of Enforcing the Council of Europe Norm Conditions for Death Penalty Reform Concluding Remarks 3. SOUTH AFRICA Capital Punishment under Apartheid The Abolitionist Movement and the Role of External Donors The Moratorium on Executions Political Transformation and Criminal Society: "Crime is Out of Control!" The Constitutional Court's Ruling on the Death Penalty Post-Death Penalty Abolition Years: The Debate Continues Who and What Played the Major Roles? Conclusion: The Politics of Principle 4. SOUTH KOREA Dictatorship, Economic Miracle, and Human Security (1948-1987) Democratic Transition and the Continuing Use of the Death Penalty (1987-1997) The Emergence of the Abolitionist Movement Changing Political Conditions for Death Penalty Abolitionism (1998-Present) The Abolitionist Camp: Catholic Church, Amnesty International, and Legislators Why Not Abolition Right Now? Concluding Remarks 5. UNITED STATES "American Exceptionalism" and International Pressure Do Crime Rates Matter? The Vigilante Tradition Racial Prejudice and Injustice Why More after the 1980s?: The Era of Heightened Inequality and Punitiveness Anti-Death Penalty Activism Public Support for the Death Penalty: A Constant Variable The Peculiarity of the U.S. Political Institutions Is Political Leadership a Remaining Virtue? Concluding Remarks 6. CONCLUSION Ways of Norm Compliance: Ukraine, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States Conditions for Norm Compliance Causal Mechanisms of Norm Compliance Conclusion: Extending the Argument Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Sangmin Bae is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Northeastern Illinois University.

Review :
"Overall Bae's work is highly instructive. Its comprehensive, multidimensional approach presents detailed accounts of the individual case studies, their political background, history of international norm compliance, and human rights record. The chapters are highly readable, making this book appropriate for an undergraduate audience ... This volume is also highly recommended to scholars of human rights, comparative politics, and political scientists in general, given the combination of methodologies and Bae's presentation of the abolition of the death penalty as a truly multifaceted issue." - H-Net Reviews "The author has an excellent grasp of the work done on the death penalty and has applied the main arguments to regions outside Europe that deserve more attention and exploration. Her interesting conclusions provide an important basis for further research." - Agata Fijalkowski, Lancaster University Law School