2007 Vincent Lemieux Prize

Winner: Ellen Gutterman (University of Toronto)

On Corruption and Compliance: Explaining State Compliance with the 1997 OECD Anti-Bribery Convention

Excerpt from jury report: Gutterman’s thesis provides a compelling analysis of why states choose to comply or not comply with important international norms and agreements, through a comparative analysis of the response of four relatively similar states (the United States, Germany, France, and the UK) to the OECD’s 1997 Anti-Bribery Convention. She provides a novel theoretical interpretation of the puzzle of(non)compliance, focusing on non-materialist considerations concerning the way in which an international norm is articulated within particular domestic political and normative contexts. Her theoretical ideas are well supported by richly textured comparative case studies. Gutterman’s combination of theoretical and methodological sophistication, excellent case-based analysis,and clear and compelling presentation mark this out as a particularly outstanding thesis in an area of great interest and importance within the field of international relations.