POL S 347 A: Politics of International Law

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POLS / LSJ 347: The Politics of International Law

Mondays and Wednesdays 11:30-12:50

Teaching Team: 

Instructor: Jonathan Beck
Office hours: Mondays 1:00-2:00 p.m. and Wednesdays 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Office: Gowen 025
E-mail: jcbeck@uw.edu

Teaching Assistants:

Jihyeon Bae

Ian Callison

Course Overview:

This course introduces students to the ways in which international law interacts with international politics. International law is inherently political, and cannot be understood in isolation from either domestic or international politics. The course examines the negotiation, use, design, and consequences of international law for a wide range of actors in world affairs. Why do states agree to create international agreements that limit their sovereignty? Why do international agreements differ so much in their form and content? How and to what extent has international law facilitated the achievement of common objectives? How much has international law shaped the foreign and domestic policies of state and non-state actors? What is the future of international law in the face of growing nationalist trends?

Throughout the course we will pay special attention to evaluating both the logic and evidence supporting various theories on the causes and consequences of international law. We will examine how international law is formed and operates across a variety of substantive areas, including human rights, armed conflict, economics affairs, and the environment.