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While many speak about the importance of the nonproliferation norm, few specify how an international norm can actually change policymaker decisions. This paper seeks to remedy this gap, and offers specific norm-based dissuasion techniques. This paper will address the specific mechanisms through which the international nonproliferation norm influences policymaker calculations. Drawing on the social psychology literature, I outline nine distinct mechanisms that can be used to increase pressure on elites to refrain from proliferation. I also give detailed examples of how these mechanisms have worked in past cases of nonproliferation, including Japan, Libya, and Egypt. In addition, the paper will discuss the limitations of norms: in some cases, norms are unlikely to have any impact on a potential proliferator, and in fact, the norm may backfire and provoke the opposite of the desired behavior. I discuss these specific circumstances so that policymakers can understand when norms are no longer a useful tool, and thus can focus on applying other dissuasion techniques. Finally, the paper will discuss how domestic conditions can affect the potency of the nonproliferation norm. Like any dissuasion technique, norms are not “one size fits all.” Examples of the multiple ways that domestic conditions can influence the utility of norms will be discussed. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]