Play the scram­b­le, avoid the ba­ck­lash? Par­tisan dy­na­mi­cs in the ne­go­ti­a­tion of bi­la­te­ral in­ve­st­ment tre­a­ties

New research shows that partisan coalitions shape not only whether developing countries sign bilateral investment treaties (BITs), but also how those agreements are designed and endure over time. Analyzing BITs from 1980 to 2020, the study finds that left-wing governments, typically skeptical of BITs, negotiate less stringent treaties when they do sign, while right-wing governments adopt more restrictive, lock-in agreements. The findings suggest that domestic political alignment affects both the formation and design of international investment treaties, helping explain the current backlash against the investment regime. Link to article