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Bargaining with the State from Afar

American Citizenship in Treaty Port China, 1844-1942
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Bargaining with the State from Afar explores the complex relationship between the U.S. federal government and American citizens living abroad, focusing on those residing in the extraterritorial enclaves of pre-World War II China. Eileen Scully examines how these sojourning Americans were governed by a mix of U.S. and foreign laws rather than Chinese jurisdiction. The book illuminates the challenges faced by American officials in enforcing jurisdiction and raises critical questions about state obligations towards citizens beyond national borders, within the context of evolving international law and citizenship.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in political science, international law, American history, and diplomatic relations, particularly those seeking a detailed case study on extraterritorial jurisdiction and state-citizen dynamics overseas.

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Traces the relationship between the U.S. federal government and sojourning Americans living in the colonial enclaves of pre-World War II China. This book explores U.S. government efforts to police an anomalous zone in the American policy and places the struggle between federal officials and U.S. nationals in the context of international law.

In the early 1990s, when organizations representing the 2.6 million U.S. nationals living abroad appealed to Congress for their own non-voting representative, the response of one Senator was to dismiss these "moans of the mink-swathed Americans abroad." However, the image of a life of luxury abroad is usually a harsher reality complicated by income taxes, military duty, and legal jurisdiction. What exactly is the obligation of a state toward citizens who live outside its borders? Bargaining with the State from Afar traces the relationship between the United States federal government and sojourning Americans living in the colonial enclaves of pre-World War II China. This group of Americans was not subject to Chinese law, but rather to an amalgam of laws borrowed from the District of Columbia and other territorial codes, as well as to local ordinances enacted by foreigners themselves. Scully explores U.S. government efforts to police this anomalous zone in the American policy and places the struggle between federal officials and sojourning U.S. nationals in the larger context of changing international law and modern citizenship regimes.She argues that the American experience with extraterritorial justice in China offers an important new vantage point from which to examine a singular area in the history of modern states. This case study of U.S. consular jurisdiction reveals the legal, political, and cultural process through which modern states have struggled to govern citizens outside their borders. Scully's examination of the U. S. Court for China is one of the first serious analysis of this anomalous institution.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In the early 1990s, when organisations representing the 2.6 million U.S. nationals living abroad appealed to Congress for their own non-voting representative, the response of one Senator was to dismiss these "moans of the mink-swathed Americans abroad." However, the image of a life of luxury abroad usually conceals a harsher reality complicated by income taxes, military duty, and legal jurisdiction. What exactly is the obligation of a state toward citizens who live outside its borders?

Bargaining with the State from Afar traces the relationship between the United States federal government and sojourning Americans living in the colonial enclaves of pre-World War II China. This group of Americans was not subject to Chinese law, but rather to an amalgam of laws borrowed from the District of Columbia and other territorial codes, as well as to local ordinances enacted by foreigners themselves. Scully explores U.S. government efforts to police this anomalous zone in American policy and places the struggle between federal officials and sojourning U.S. nationals in the larger context of changing international law and modern citizenship regimes.

She argues that the American experience with extraterritorial justice in China offers an important new vantage point from which to examine a singular area in the history of modern states. This case study of U.S. consular jurisdiction reveals the legal, political, and cultural process through which modern states have struggled to govern citizens outside their borders.

Scully's examination of the U.S. Court for China is one of the first serious analyses of this anomalous institution.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The book is praised for revealing the complexities of international law in the nineteenth century and its application to American policy abroad. International History Review finds it especially useful, while The Journal of American History commends Scully's clear, stimulating, and insightful analysis, especially highlighting the study's contribution to understanding a neglected aspect of Chinese-American relations.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780231121095

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 March 2001

Country: United States

Imprint: Columbia University Press

Illustration: 1 halftone

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Weight: 250g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Eileen Scully is assistant professor of history at Princeton University.

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