Many of the hypotheses in the previous subsection can be reformulated from the
demandeur’s perspective. Demandeurs should seek hard legalization (1) when the
likelihood of opportunism and its costs are high, and noncompliance is difficult to
detect; (2) when they wish to limit participation to those strongly committed to an
agreement; and (3) when executive officials in other states have preferences compatible
with those of the demandeurs, but other elites within those states have divergent
preferences. Finally, demandeurs should place greatest reliance on commitments by
states that participate actively in legal regimes and have strong legal institutions,
professions, and traditions.