The Diffusion of Anti-Trafficking Norms

This thesis examines how the United Nations has influenced domestic anti-trafficking legislation through the diffusion of norms codified in the Palermo Protocol (2000). Using a qualitative research design grounded in constructivist International Relations theory, the study applies a cluster-based framework to assess the uptake of Protection, Prevention, and Prosecution norms, known as the three P’s, in the legal systems of the United States and Thailand. Methodologically, the thesis combines discourse analysis of legal texts with a form of normative process tracing, identifying how specific international norms are reflected, reframed, or omitted in national legislation. By coding both anti-trafficking statutes and relevant general laws, the study traces selective and uneven diffusion patterns, with Prosecution norms being the most consistently adopted and Prevention norms being the most neglected. The findings support norm diffusion theory’s claim that adoption is shaped by domestic legal structures and the framing of norms themselves. Ultimately, the thesis contributes to understanding how international legal standards travel across borders and are translated into national law through both discursive and institutional filters.