Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read The United States of America and the International Criminal Court, Between cosmopolitan and American democracy: Understanding US opposition to the International Criminal Court, and pages 477-480 and 483 of the Routledge Handbook of Critical Criminology.

The United States has refused to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) since its inception. The issue of the United States’ reluctance to join the ICC continues to be a matter of international debate. This week’s assignment requires you to take a position on whether or not the United States should formally join, and accept the jurisdiction of, the International Criminal Court. Avoid notions of jingoism, and examine the international community and the responsibilities of the United States as an international actor in both civilian and military affairs. Make sure to explain the consequences of not joining or a decision to join the ICC.

In your paper,

• Assess the purpose and function of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
• Explain why the United States has not joined the ICC.
• Examine the pros and cons for the United States to be a member of the ICC.
• Construct an argument proposing the United States should join or continue to not be a part of the ICC.
  • Provide sound reasoning for your opinions.
  • Examine not just the United States’ reasons for not joining the ICC, but also various international perspectives about the leading military power in the world’s decision not to join this criminal law court.
• Explain the ramifications of the opinion that you advance to the United States and the international community.

The International Criminal Law paper:

• Must be two to three double-spaced pages in length (750 words of content minimum, not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center’s APA Style
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted

For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013.

• Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice resource for additional guidance.
• Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.
  • For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions as well as Writing a Thesis Statement, refer to the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center resources.
• Must use at least three scholarly and/or credible sources in addition to the course text.
  • The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
• Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center’s Citing Within Your Paper
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References Listresource in the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center for specifications.