Abstract/Description

Kelebogile Zvobgo presented a working paper co-authored with Alan J. Simmons which investigates whether Americans support war crimes investigations and prosecutions. Their hypotheses suggest that public exposure to human rights frames will increase support for war crimes investigations and prosecutions heralded by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Meanwhile, exposure to human national interest frames will reduce support for war crimes investigations and prosecutions and opinion will favor US courts to lead investigations and prosecutions as opposed to the ICC. A survey experiment including 1000 American adults was carried out with groups being exposed to national interest, human rights, and common frames. The authors found that Americans are generally insensitive to arguments for and against accountability for U.S. personnel at a range of venues, including the ICC and U.S. domestic courts. Their paper emphasizes the factors that drive support or opposition for accountability for atrocity crimes, which is vital for both the outcomes of conflicts and seeking justice.