In person icon Bad Actors, Bad Norms: Illiberal Actors as Norm Entrepreneurs

Abstract

The norm literature has a liberal bias. First, norms are often seen as liberal norms. Second, norm entrepreneurs are often conceptualized as liberal and democratic actors. However, since norms are collectively shared standards of appropriate behavior for actors with a given identity, norms can be both liberal and illiberal, both democratic and authoritarian. We observe autocrats promoting ‘bad’ norms in areas such as internet governance and non-proliferation. This panel tries to fill this empirical gap by focusing on illiberal actors promoting illiberal norms. What do illiberal norms look like? What strategies do illiberal norm entrepreneurs use? What are the theoretical implications of broadening the scope to non-liberal actors? This panel aims to answer these and other questions in order to address the biases in existing norm literature.

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