This book investigates the international normative framework that upholds sovereign statehood in the Third World. I call it ‘negative sovereignty’ and contrast it with the older structure of ‘positive sovereignty’ that emerged in Europe along with the modern state and was expressed by Western imperialism and colonialism. The new regime is an explicit repudiation of the old. I refer to the sovereign units supported by this framework as ‘quasi-states’ to call attention to the fact that they lack many of the marks and merits of empirical statehood postulated by positive sovereignty. I have sought answers to five primary questions: What is the modus operandi of the negative sovereignty regime? How did it come into existence historically? What are the consequences of negative sovereignty not only for international politics but also for the domestic conditions of quasi-states? What are the implications for international relations theory? Finally, what are the prospects for quasi-states?

It may be helpful at the outset to clarify my approach. First, I am concerned not with all aspects of Third World states or even most aspects but only with one: their sovereign aspect. I believe, however, that negative sovereignty is a crucial and overlooked institution which not only helps sustain many of these states but also impinges on human rights and socioeconomic development within them.

Third world states have been studied to date largely in terms of sociological or political economy approaches which emphasize underlying cultural or material circumstances rather than overarching moral and legal norms.