New Research Examines Why Countries Leave International Organizations

MALIBU, California – New research from Felicity Vabulas, Blanche E. Seaver Associate Professor of International Studies, at Pepperdine University, explains why countries leave international organizations and what happens after they do. 

The research, published in the book Exit from International Organizations, provides the first detailed look into how and why countries leave global organizations that coordinate cooperation on trade, security, health, and other international issues. 

“International organizations help countries cooperate on trade, security, public health, and other global challenges,” said Dr. Vabulas. “But states do not always remain members. Our research shows that governments sometimes use exit strategically to signal dissatisfaction or push for institutional change.”

The study examines more than a century of international cooperation across 198 countries and 534 international organizations. The findings show that states most often withdraw when their policy preferences diverge from other members while states most often get suspended after democratic backsliding such as a coup d’etat.

In some cases, governments leave organizations as a bargaining tool to pressure institutions to change rules or policies. However, the research also finds that exit carries significant consequences.  

“Leaving an international organization can damage a country’s reputation and make future cooperation more difficult,” said Dr. Vabulas. “Even when exit is used as a strategy to push for institutional change, it often comes with real diplomatic costs.”

Exit from International Organizations received the Chadwick F. Alger Prize from the International Studies Association, which recognizes the best book published in the previous year on international organizations. 

"Dr. Vabulas is doing important scholarship on the forces impacting international cooperation," offered Provost Jay Brewster. "Her expansive analysis offers important insight into the stabilizing influences of diplomacy and shared priorities."

The research was conducted in collaboration with Inken von Borzyskowski at the University of Oxford. 

At Pepperdine University, Dr. Vabulas teaches courses on international relations and global politics. She received the Howard A. White Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her research focuses on the political economy of international cooperation, specifically when and why states change how they cooperate internationally and the implications this has for international relations. 

About Pepperdine University

Founded in 1937, Pepperdine University is an independent, Christian university located 30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles in scenic Malibu, California. The University enrolls approximately 10,300 students across its flagship liberal arts school, Seaver College; the College of Health Science, and four graduate schools—the Caruso School of Law; the Graziadio Business School; the Graduate School of Education and Psychology; and the School of Public Policy. Pepperdine is committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. Follow Pepperdine on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

 

Media Contact

Public Relations Office
pr@pepperdine.edu
818.702.1401