According to the passage, why do states follow treaties on shipping and trade?
International law is often dismissed as toothless because no world police force stands behind it. The dismissal confuses enforcement with effect. Most domestic law is obeyed without any officer present, because people expect others to obey it and because breaking it carries reputational and practical costs. Treaties on shipping, aviation and trade are followed for similar reasons; states that ignore them find their ships and aircraft refused entry and their goods refused markets. Where the law fails is on the great questions of war and security, in which a powerful state may judge that the cost of breach is lower than the cost of compliance. It is a mistake to infer from these cases that international law is without force in all the others.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Ignoring them would lead to practical penalties such as refused entry and refused markets
- Step 1: The passage says states that ignore them find ships and aircraft refused entry and goods refused markets.
- Step 2: These are the practical costs.
Answer
Ignoring them would lead to practical penalties such as refused entry and refused markets.
Why not the others: Police force, favour to the weak, unimportance of trade and threat of war are not given as reasons.
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