The Economic Structure of International Law

Joel P. Trachtman, Joel P. TRACHTMAN

• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN: 9780674030985
• eBook ISBN: 9780674044432
• Topic: Law
• Subtopic: Economic Theory
• Index: Law

The Economic Structure of International Law presents a rationalist analysis of the structure of international law. It employs social scientific techniques to develop an understanding of the role of law in international society. In doing so, it delves into the question of compliance and reveals the real-world circumstances under which states might adhere to or violate international law.

Joel P. Trachtman explores such topics as treaty-making and jurisdiction; the rise, stability, and efficiency of custom; the establishment of international organizations; and the structure and role of international legal dispute settlement. At the core of the book lies the question of the allocation of legal power to states. The Economic Structure of International Law presents policymakers and scholars with an over-arching analytical model of international law, one that demonstrates the potential of international law, but also explains how policymakers should choose among different international legal structures.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Preface
• 1. Introduction: A Social Scientific Approach to International Law
• 2. Jurisdiction
• 3. Customary International Law
• 4. Treaty
• 5. International Organization
• 6. Interfunctional Linkage and Fragmentation
• 7. International Adjudication
• Afterword
• Notes
• Index