Introduction: Nuclear Latency and the Participation Puzzle

The nuclear revolution gave humanity unprecedented destructive power. That power of annihilation pushed two international reactions. On the one hand, some countries employed this technology to advance their military might. Since 1945, ten countries have obtained atomic weapons. Furthermore, nuclear disarmament is still a thorny issue in international affairs. On the other hand, the international community developed an intricate network of institutions to constrain the spread of nuclear weapons to new countries. These institutions shape what today is one of the best and most unexpected examples of success in international regimes, defying predictions that national security concerns would make proliferation cases skyrocket.