From human trafficking to the smuggling of small arms to the looting of antiquities, illicit trade poses significant threats to international order. So why is it so difficult to establish international cooperation against illicit trade? Governing Guns, Preventing Plunder offers a novel, thought-provoking answer to this crucial question. Conventional wisdom holds that criminal groups are the biggest obstacle to efforts to suppress illicit trade. Contrarily, Asif Efrat explains how legitimate actors, such as museums that acquire looted antiquities, seek to hinder these regulatory efforts. Yet such attempts to evade regulation fuel international political conflicts between governments demanding action against illicit trade and others that are reluctant to cooperate. The book offers a framework for understanding the domestic origins of these conflicts and how the distribution of power shapes their outcome. Through this framework, Efrat explains why the interests of governments vary across countries, trades, and time. In a fascinating empirical analysis, he solves a variety of puzzles: Why is the international regulation of small arms much weaker than international drug control? What led the United States and Britain to oppose the efforts against the plunder of antiquities, and why did they ultimately join these efforts? How did American pressure motivate Israel to tackle sex trafficking? Efrat's findings will change the way we think about illicit trade, offering valuable insights to scholars, activists, and policymakers.

About the Author
Asif Efrat is Assistant Professor of Government at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya. He received his Ph.D. in government from Harvard University and has taught at Cornell Law School.

Reviews
This book is a major accomplishment. It is rare indeed to find a volume in the social sciences that addresses the question of how international cooperation occurs in the area of banned activities and illicit goods. Asif Efrat weaves a domestic political economy account into his analysis of international collaboration to explain why some governments have embraced (and others have resisted) such bans, from efforts to control trade in small arms to criminalization of human trafficking; from illicit drugs to trade in looted antiquities. The evidentiary basis on which this work rests is monumental, including original evidence on the preferences of 118 governments on regulating illicit international trade in small arms. Compelling, engaging and rigorous, this book is one of the very best reads available on the topic of cooperation among governments to define and address international criminal activity. * Beth A. Simmons, Harvard University *
It is an axiom of the literature on international institutions that a sine qua non for cooperation among states is shared interests. When it comes to illicit global trade-trafficking in drugs, arms, and people-Asif Efrat shows that notwithstanding their rhetoric, states do not in fact have a shared interest in regulation or prohibitions. Efrat's analysis is clear, compelling, and an admirable example of careful exploration of micro-foundations. He makes both a theoretical and an empirical contribution on an important subject. * Anne-Marie Slaughter, Princeton University *
Most studies of transnational crime focus on the criminals and their corrupting influence on governments. In this innovative project, Asif Efrat calls attention to the role of legal actors-namely, domestic interests within states-in posing barriers to, but sometimes making possible, international cooperation to fight illicit trade. His detailed research into illegal trafficking in small arms, human beings, and looted antiquities provides insights into the domestic challenges to international cooperation. * Matthew Evangelista, Cornell University *
An engaging discussion of the complicated issues surrounding nations in addressing and regulating diverse forms of illicit trade. ... Efrat clearly outlines a theoretical framework and demonstrates how it is applicable to various forms of illicit trade, concentrating on human trafficking, arms trafficking, and the illicit trade in looted antiquities. ... The presentation of the material is comprehensive, yet the information does not overwhelm the reader as the author makes sure to define any terms that may be unfamiliar to a non-academic reader. The engaging and organized nature of the text allows the reader to easily understand and learn about the issues at hand, allowing for all audiences including those outside of academia - to absorb and appreciate its content. * Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books *
Asif Efrat's book offers a rigorous assessment of the most-unresolved puzzles surrounding the illicit trade of goods and people. Even though the book addresses complex questions, it is written in a clear prose and straightforward style. It is a must-read and an essential guide for scholars and policymakers working on illegal trade, an area in which secrecy and clandestine workings greatly complicate analysis. * Denise Garcia, Political Science Quarterly *



Book Information
ISBN 9780190206871
Author Asif Efrat
Format Paperback
Page Count 380
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 550g
Dimensions(mm) 157mm * 234mm * 23mm