ECPR Blog - The Loop Logo - White

Articles by Geoffrey Swenson

August 23, 2024

Nothing ventured, nothing gained: foreign policy towards non-state justice 

Geoffrey Swenson
Promoters of the rule of law stress the importance of non-state justice for security, stability, and access to justice in the Global South. But as Geoffrey Swenson highlights, actual foreign policy tells a different story. Risk aversion – rather than results – drives foreign policy. Successful rule of law promotion ultimately demands greater risk
Read more
photograph of Geoffrey Swenson
Geoffrey Swenson
Reader in International Politics, City, University of London

Geoffrey's current research focuses on issues related to state-building, democracy and the rule of law, legal pluralism, international relations theory, and foreign aid.

His work has been published in several leading journals, including International Security, International Studies Quarterly, International Studies Review, and World Development.

Contending Orders: Legal Pluralism and the Rule of Law, by Geoffrey Swenson

Contending Orders: Legal Pluralism and the Rule of Law
Oxford University Press, 2022

The Loop

Cutting-edge analysis showcasing the work of the political science discipline at its best.
Read more
THE EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM FOR POLITICAL RESEARCH
Advancing Political Science
© 2026 European Consortium for Political Research. The ECPR is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) number 1167403 ECPR, Harbour House, 6-8 Hythe Quay, Colchester, CO2 8JF, United Kingdom.
Visit our FacebookVisit our TwitterVisit our LinkedInVisit our YouTube channel
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram