This study argues that international courts, like the WTO, strategically balance legal discipline and political constraints. Using text analysis of all WTO rulings since 1995, it finds that politically charged decisions—especially nonfiscal national treatment cases—are explained differently than less sensitive ones. Rulings on repeated issues progressively decrease affect as disputes unfold. The "this means that" style highlights how judges provide governments with discursive tools to persuade domestic audiences about compliance legitimacy.
