Heinrich Thimm

Mr. Thimm s research explores the reasons for American unilateralism regarding international treaties and the conditions under which multilateral behavior is possible. Mr. Thimm's research explores American foreign policy towards multilateral agreements. Based on four case studies of human rights and arms control treaties, he examines under what conditions the United States is willing to enter into binding international treaties. Drawing on International Relations theory, Mr. Thimm hopes to integrate explanations on various levels of analysis to arrive at a multi-causal explanation for US behavior in this area. He suspects that structural factors bias American policy towards unilateral behavior. However, the conditions necessary to overcome that bias and explanations for specific decisions are mostly found in domestic American politics.