Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Chapter 5 examines the role of power in processes of international legal change, challenging the conventional view that material power is the primary driver. Building on the empirical findings presented in Chapter 4, it shows that, while powerful states may obstruct certain change efforts, they rarely determine outcomes. Instead, we suggest that ideational power—exercised through discourse mobilization—plays a central role in shaping gradual legal change. Actors use discourse mobilization efforts to embed their arguments in widely accepted ideational frames, institutional authority, and institutional procedures. The chapter maps how these strategies operate across different paths of change and argues that certain pathways—such as judicial, bureaucratic, and private authority pathways—are inherently more open to discursive strategies, offering actors opportunities to reshape legal interpretations even in the face of material asymmetries. While material power can support ideational influence, it does not guarantee it; less powerful actors can also achieve their change visions by crafting compelling legal narratives and aligning them with authoritative voices. The chapter highlights that ideational power is particularly effective in gradual, interpretive change processes, as opposed to treaty-making, where material power and hard bargaining dominate. It concludes that understanding legal change requires attention to the interaction of ideational strategies, authority constellations, and institutional receptivity, all of which shape how power circulates within international law and how actors, both strong and weak, can influence the direction and content of legal development.</jats:p>