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Since the end of the Cold War, international law has played a greater and greater role in how we think about international relations and the ¿rule of law¿ in global affairs. Yet, expectations for a new international
order
have not always been met by real behavior on behalf of states and nonstate actors. Nevertheless, international legal agreements have proliferated even though norms and rules are not always observed or clearly
understood.
This course will examine the interaction of law and politics at the international level and how each influences the other. We will cover the sources of international law, participants, courts, dispute settlement,
jurisdiction,
and customary law.
We expect law to provide predictability and structure for daily international activities so the international system, however complex, can operate effectively. International organizations like
the United
Nation are central to the creation of international law and form the nexus where new international organizations like the World Trade Organization and the International Criminal Court are allowed to take shape. These
new
organizations in turn establish norms, policies, and rules which become part of the international legal world. Enforcement, however, at the international level is significantly different than that which is available to
states
through police, courts, and penal systems, all lacking in the global environment. International law depends on consent and horizontal pressure applied by other parties to an agreement to extract compliance by violators.
Today it is impossible to completely grasp international politics without an understanding of international law. This course is offered in order to bridge that gap.
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS GOVT Grading Mode: Graded
Prerequisites: NONE
Last Updated on MAR-21-2005
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459