Scorecard Diplomacy
Grading States to Influence their Reputation and Behavior

This book shows that, despite lacking traditional force, public grades can motivate countries to focus on problems they would rather ignore.

Judith G. Kelley (Author)

9781316649138, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 May 2017

376 pages, 54 b/w illus. 30 tables
22.8 x 15.3 x 2.1 cm, 0.55 kg

'Scorecard Diplomacy is a fascinating study of how the United States uses its assessment power to influence policy change around the world. Judith G. Kelley shows that ratings matter in the public sphere. This is an incredibly insightful look at how modern US diplomacy has harnessed anxiety about 'grades' to provoke change in national policies - and has kept human trafficking on the global agenda.' Beth A. Simmons, Andrea Mitchell University Professor in Law and Political Science, University of Pennsylvania

What can the international community do when countries would rather ignore a thorny problem? Scorecard Diplomacy shows that, despite lacking traditional force, public grades are potent symbols that can evoke countries' concerns about their reputations and motivate them to address the problem. The book develops an unconventional but careful argument about the growing phenomenon of such ratings and rankings. It supports this by examining the United States' foreign policy on human trafficking using a global survey of NGOs, case studies, thousands of diplomatic cables, media stories, 90 interviews worldwide, and other documents. All of this is gathered together in a format that walks the reader through the mechanisms of scorecard diplomacy, including an assessment of the outcomes. Scorecard Diplomacy speaks both to those keen to understand the pros and cons of US policy on human trafficking and to those interested in the central question of influence in international relations. The book's companion website can be found at www.scorecarddiplomacy.org.

Part I. Theory and Production: 1. Introduction
2. Scorecard diplomacy and reputation
3. The case of human trafficking
4. How third parties boost reputational concerns
Part II. Effects: 5. Micro-level evidence of reputational concerns
6. From reputational concerns to effects on laws, practices and norms
7. When does it work
8. Country perspectives
Conclusion. Reputation and policy
Methods appendix
Results appendix.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS]