Most Americans assume U.S. diplomacy happens in Washington, D.C., but the real story runs deeper. Across the country, U.S. states have quietly been building international relationships, signing agreements with foreign governments that shape policy on trade, energy, the environment, and more.
Now, for the first time, these little-known documents have been brought together in one place. U.S. State Commitments with Foreign Governments, edited by Professor Ryan Scoville, sheds light on this overlooked layer of U.S. diplomacy and has just been recognized with the 2025 AALL New Product Award for its important contribution to legal research.
Available in both print and online database formats, this unparalleled resource compiles more than 1,200 legal and political commitments between U.S. states and foreign governments. To create it, Scoville filed over 1400 freedom-of-information requests, including multiple requests with every major administrative agency across all fifty states. The result is the most comprehensive view yet of U.S. “paradiplomacy,” a developing field in international law that asks the question: what happens when states start acting like nations?
Major New Update: 500 Additional Commitments Added
The database continues to expand. Our latest update introduces 500 new commitments, including more than 200 from the decades preceding 2000. Researchers will now find:
- Memoranda of understanding with Mexico to ensure state compliance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
- Agreements with the United Kingdom to expand trade relations
- Arrangements with Ukraine to promote cooperation in transportation, agriculture, trade, robotics, and defense
- New commitments on CO₂ emissions and clean energy initiatives
- Expanding trade ties with Canada and Mexico
- Dozens of additional agreements covering supply-chain resilience, semiconductors, fisheries, public safety, migrant workers’ rights, consumer privacy, and cross-border infrastructure
With these additions, the database now offers the most comprehensive and accessible record of state-level international cooperation available anywhere.
Why Study the Commitments?
The story of American diplomacy isn’t confined to Washington. Across the country, states are forging partnerships, signing agreements, and influencing global policy in ways that often go unnoticed. These commitments reveal how local governments are shaping international law, trade, and environmental policy from the ground up.
Uncover a developing diplomatic frontier.
While the U.S. federal government has traditionally been the face of international relations, states are now stepping onto the global stage to shape policy on issues from trade to the environment.
Analyze an opaque practice.
Despite the significance of U.S. state commitments with foreign governments, states have generally not been required to disclose them to Congress or the public, avoiding public scrutiny.
Assess practical benefits and risks.
Recent commitments are often beneficial, but some might subvert U.S. national interests and undermine federal foreign policy.
Understand the law in practice.
The contents of the commitments shed new light on U.S. constitutional law and public international law as applied at the state level.
To learn more about this database, watch our dedicated video or browse the LibGuide.
Explore the AALL Award Winner for Yourself
$295.00 (one-time payment for the current edition)
- Includes access to the HeinOnline database and one copy of the print version.
- Customers will not be invoiced again until the next edition is released, which is tentatively slated for 3-4 years after the publication of the first edition. At that time, the database will be updated with new agreements obtained via freedom-of-information requests.
