Democracies and International Law

Contrasts democratic and authoritarian approaches to international law, explaining how their interaction will affect the world in the future.

Anyone interested in the future of democracy needs to understand the role of international law in resisting or facilitating authoritarianism. As the balance of power between democracies and authoritarians shifts, it will have consequences for the international legal order.Democracies and authoritarian regimes have different approaches to international law, grounded in their different forms of government. As the balance of power between democracies and non-democracies shifts, it will have consequences for international legal order. Human rights may face severe challenges in years ahead, but citizens of democratic countries may still benefit from international legal cooperation in other areas. Ranging across several continents, this volume surveys the state of democracy-enhancing international law, and provides ideas for a way forward in the face of rising authoritarianism.