AIM Framework glossary
Cascading Structure of Rights and Duties
Canonical definition
The cascading structure of rights and duties is the rule that responsibilities to protect A, enable I, and bound M fall first on the nearest and most capable actors (self, intimates, organisations, state, and finally international actors) so that no level can excuse inaction by pointing to another.
Explanation
Instead of treating “society” as an undifferentiated blob, AIM assigns A-, I-, and M-related duties in concentric layers: those closest and best placed to help must act first, with responsibility flowing outward only when inner layers genuinely cannot discharge it. This cascading design underpins later chapters on criminal justice, economic floors, and foreign intervention, where failing inner layers both justify and limit more distant intervention to repair A-harm, I-harm, and M-harm.
Epistemic status
Framework-Specific Construct (normative).