Politics and International Law

International law shapes nearly every aspect of our lives. It affects the food we eat, the products we buy, the rights we hold, and the wars we fight. Yet international law is often believed to be the exclusive domain of well-heeled professionals with years of legal training. This text uses clear, accessible writing and contemporary political examples to explain where international law comes from, how actors decide whether to follow international law, and how international law is upheld using legal and political tools. Suitable for undergraduate and graduate students, this book is accessible to a wide audience and is written for anyone who wants to understand how global rules shape and transform international politics. Each chapter is framed by a case study that examines a current political issue, such as the bombing of Yemen or the use of chemical weapons in Syria, encouraging students to draw connections between theoretical concepts and real-world situations. The chapters are modular and self-contained, and each is paired with multiple Supplemental Cases: edited and annotated judicial opinions. Accompanied by ready-to-use PowerPoint slides and a testbank for instructors.

'This excellent book ties together an impressive array of material from law and political science in an accessible way. The book uses case studies not just to illustrate legal interpretation but also to illuminate how international law affects the practice of state and non-state actors. I strongly recommend it for any course on the politics of international law.' Erik Voeten, Georgetown University, 'Finally, a textbook on international law that is really geared toward undergraduate international relations and political science students! It delivers the material in a way that is easy to read and understand, and the case examples not only help to drive home key concepts, but are written in a way that makes the text more engaging for both professors and students.' Heather Elko McKibben, University of California, Davis, 'For years, I have been searching in vain for a textbook for my international institutions classes. Politics and International Law is it! Johns explains legal principles in accurate yet easy to understand language across virtually every issue area governed by international law, and breathes life into the sometimes mundane details of international law through insightful background and colorful case studies.' Jana von Stein, The Australian National University, 'Leslie Johns has written and compiled an international law casebook that is clear, accessible, and very timely. It will be easy to teach from and engaging for a wide range of students.' Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America

Leslie Johns is Professor of Political Science and Law at UCLA. She has published numerous scholarly articles in top peer-reviewed journals, including the American Political Science Review, International Organization, and The Journal of Politics. This book is based on over a decade of teaching undergraduate and graduate political science students at UCLA.