Search Faculty Publications
KAREN ALTER
2024
Working Papers
- Global Governance in Time: Institutional Sequences, International Regime Complexes, and the Politics of Global Governance, Northwestern Public Law Research Paper No. 24-03, ___ World Politics ___ (forthcoming 2024) (Co-authored by: Stephen C. Nelson).
2023
Articles
- Making Politics of History and International Law, 36 Temple International & Comparative Law Journal 95 (2022).
- Veiled Power: International Law and the Private Corporation 1886–1981. By Doreen Lustig. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2020. Pp. vii, 256. Index, 117 American Journal of International Law 172 (2023).
Contributions to Books
- The Contested Authority and Legitimacy of International Law: The State Strikes Back, in Rule in International Politics 214 (Christopher Daase, Nicole Dietelhoff & Antonia Witt eds. 2023).
Working Papers
- So Long as We are a Constitutional Democracy: The Solange Impulse in a Time of Anti-Globalism, iCOURTS Working Paper Series No. 335, Northwestern Public Law Research Paper No. 23-63 (2023).
- The Legalization of Global Economic Governance: Contracting or Multilateralism?, Duke Law School Public Law & Legal Theory Series No. 2023, Northwestern Public Law Research Paper No. 23-62 (2023) (Co-authored by: Timothy Meyer).
- How Corporations Gained Impunity under International Law, ___ American Journal of International Law ___ (forthcoming), ICOURTS Working Paper Series No 313, 2022, Northwestern Law & Econ Research Paper No. 23-03 (2023).
2022
Articles
- The Future of Embedded International Law: Democratic and Authoritarian Trajectories, 23 Chicago Journal of International Law 27 (2022).
- How to Change the Operating System of Global Capitalism: A Rejoinder, International Journal of Constitutional Law, moac023 (2022).
- Foreword, 84 Law & Contemporary Problems I (2022) (Co-authored by: Mikael Rask Madsen).
- The International Adjudication of Mega-Politics, 84 Law & Contemporary Problems 1 (2022) (Co-authored by: Mikael Rask Madsen).
- Beyond Backlash: The Consequences of Adjudicating Mega-Politics, 84 Law & Contemporary Problems 219 (2022) (Co-authored by: Mikael Rask Madsen).
- The Promise and Perils of Theorizing International Regime Complexity in an Evolving World, ___ Review of International Organizations ___ (2022).
Contributions to Books
- Chinese and Western Perspectives on the Rule of Law and their International Implications, ICOURTS Working Paper Series No. 283, Northwestern Public Law Research Paper No. 22-13, in Cambridge Handbook on China and International Law (Ignacio de la Rasilla & Cai Congyan eds. forthcoming 2022) (Co-authored by: Ji Li).
2021
Articles
- From Colonial to Multilateral International Law: A Global Capitalism and Law Investigation, 19 The International Journal of Constitutional Law 798 (2021).
- The International Court of Justice in Comparison: Understanding the Court’s Limited Influence, 21 Melbourne Journal of International Law 676 (2021).
- Introduction to the Symposium on Sara McLaughlin Mitchell & Andrew P. Owsiak, “Judicialization of the Sea: Bargaining in the Shadow of UNCLOS”, 115 Ajil Unbound 368 (2021).
- When and How to Legally Challenge Economic Globalization: A Comment on the German Constitutional Court’s False Promise, 19 I•con, The International Journal of Constitutional Law 269 (2021).
Contributions to Books
- The High Water Mark of International Judicialization?, in By Peaceful Means: A Tribute to David D. Caron (Charles Brower, et al. ed. forthcoming 2022).
- Big Decisions in European Legal and Economic Integration: What Have We Learned?, in Cassis de Dijon 40 Years On 253 (Albertina Albors-Llorens, Catherine Barnard & Brigitte Leucht eds. 2021).
Working Papers
- Global Governance and the Problem of the Second Best: The Example of Reforming the World Trade Organization, Northwestern Law & Econ Research Paper No. 19-13 (2019) (Co-authored by: Cristina Lafont).
2020
Articles
- Gender and Status in American Political Science: Who Determines Whether a Scholar Is Noteworthy?, 18 Perspectives on Politics 1048 (2020) (Co-authored by: Jean Clipperton, Emily Schraudenbach & Laura Rozier).
- Theorising Backlash Politics: Conclusion to a Special Issue on Backlash Politics in Comparison, 22 British Journal of Politics & International Relations 739 (forthcoming 2020) (Co-authored by: Michael Zürn).
- Conceptualising Backlash Politics: Introduction to a Special Issue on Backlash Politics in Comparison, 22 British Journal of Politics & International Relations 563 (2020) (Co-authored by: Michael Zürn).
- Visions of International Law: An Interdisciplinary Retrospective, ___ Leiden Journal of International Law ___ (forthcoming 2020).
- Islamic Law and International Law: Peaceful Resolution of Disputes. Powell, Emilia Justyna. New York City, New York: Oxford University Press, 2020. 328 pp. $74.00 (cloth), 33 Governance 985 (2020).
- Comprehending Global Governance: International Regime Complexity vs. Global Constitutionalism, 9 Global Constitutionalism 413 (2020).
Contributions to Books
- Contracting v. Multilateralism in Global Economic Governance: Before, During and After the WTO, in International Economic Dispute Settlement: Demise or Transformation? World Trade Forum Series (Manfred Elsig, Rodrigo Polanco & Peter van den Bossche eds. forthcoming 2020).
Op-Eds/Blog Posts/Popular Press
- Is It a Dance or Is It Chicken: The German Constitutional Court’s European Central Bank Ruling, Verfassungsblog (May 13, 2020).
2019
Articles
- Backlash Politics: Introduction to a Symposium on Backlash Politics in Comparison, Icourts Working Paper Series No. 174, ___ British Journal of Politics & International Relations ___ (forthcoming 2020) (Co-authored by: Michael Zürn).
- Introduction to the Symposium on Kristina Daugirdas, “Reputation as a Disciplinarian of International Organizations, 113 AJIL Unbound 218 (2019).
- Theorizing the Judicialization of International Relations, 63 International Studies Quarterly 449 (2019) (Co-authored by: Emilie Marie Hafner-Burton & Laurence Helfer).
- The Empire of International Law?, 113 American Journal of International Law 183 (2019).
Contributions to Books
- Critical Junctures and the Future of International Courts in a Post-Liberal World Order, in The Future of International Courts And Tribunals: Regional, Institutional And Procedural Challenges 8 (Avidan Kent, Nikos Skoutaris & Jamie Trinidad eds. 2019).
Op-Eds/Blog Posts/Popular Press
- Time for a World Trade Organization 2.0, Wall Street Journal (Sept. 15, 2019).
2018
Books
- Karen Alter is the editor of International Court Authority, co-edited by Laurence R. Helfer, & Mikael Rask Madsen, edited by Laurence R. Helfer, & Mikael Rask Madsen (2018).
Articles
- The Rise of International Regime Complexity, 14 Annual Review of Law & Social Science 329 (2018) (Co-authored by: Kal Raustiala).
- Law in Action: Human Rights, Conflict Resolution and National Identity, 16 Perspective On Politics 460 (2018).
- Disentangling Ethics and the Law: What's Legal Isn't Necessarily Ethical, National Law Journal (Feb. 27, 2018).
Contributions to Books
- National Perspectives on International Constitutional Review: Diverging Optics, in Comparative Judicial Review 244 (Erin F. Delaney & Rosalind Dixon eds. 2018).
- Introducing International Courts into a Complex World, in International Court Authority (Karen J. Alter, Laurence R. Helfer, & Mikael R. Madsen eds. 2018) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer, & Mikael Madsen).
- How Context Shapes the Authority of International Courts, in International Court Authority (Karen J. Alter, Laurence R. Helfer, & Mikael R. Madsen eds. 2018) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer, & Mikael Madsen).
- International Court Authority in Question: Introduction to Part III, in International Court Authority (Karen J. Alter, Laurence R. Helfer, & Mikael R. Madsen eds. 2018) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer, & Mikael Madsen).
- Conclusion: Context, Authority, Power, in International Court Authority (Karen J. Alter, Laurence R. Helfer, & Mikael R. Madsen eds. 2018) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer, & Mikael Madsen).
- The Authority of the Andean Tribunal of Justice in a Time of Crisis, in International Court Authority (Karen J. Alter, Laurence R. Helfer, & Mikael R. Madsen eds. 2018) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer).
- The Future of International Law, in A New Global Agenda: Priorities, Practices, and Pathways of The International Community 25 (Diana Ayton-Shenker ed. 2018) ICOURTS WORKING PAPER SERIES No. 101, NORTHWESTERN PUBLIC LAW RESEARCH PAPER No. 17-18.
Op-Eds/Blog Posts/Popular Press
- Trump’s Tariffs Aren’t the Biggest Trade Problem. Will China Step Up to Protect the WTO?, Washington Post (Jun. 18, 2018).
- Introduction to Symposium on Transplanting International Courts: The Law and Politics of the Andean Tribunal of Justice, Opinio Juris (Mar. 12, 2018).
2017
Books
- Transplanting International Courts: The Law and Politics of the Andean Tribunal of Justice (Oxford University Press 2017) (Co-authored by: Laurence R. Helfer).
Articles
- Jurist Advocacy Movements in Europe and the Andes, Icourts Working Paper Series No. 65 (2016).
Contributions to Books
- National Perspectives on International Constitutional Review: Diverging Optics, in Comparative Judicial Review (Erin Delaney & Rosalind Dixon eds. forthcoming 2018).
- The Evolution of International Law and Courts, in International Politics and Institutions In Time (Orfeo Fioretos ed. 2017).
2016
Articles
- Backlash Against International Courts in West, East and Southern Africa: Causes & Consequences, 27 European Journal of International Law 293 (2016) (Co-authored by: James Thuo Gatthi, and Laurence R. Helfer).
- Karen Alter, Laurence R. Helfer, and Mikael Rask Madsen are the Special Editors for The Variable Authority of International Courts symposium, 79 (1) Law And Contemporary Problems (2016) (Co-authored by: Laurence R. Helfer, and Mikael Rask Madsen).
- How Context Shapes the Authority of International Courts, 79 Law And Contemporary Problems 1 (2016) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer, and Mikael Rask Madsen).
Contributions to Books
- Too Much Power for the Judges? Understanding the European Court’s Political Power, in Key Controversies In European Integration, 2d ed. (Hubert Zimmerman and Andreas Dür eds. 2016) (Co-authored by: Daniel Kelemen).
- Regional Dispute Settlement, in Oxford Handbook of Comparative Regionalism 538 (Tanja A. Börzel and Thomas Risse eds. 2016) (Co-authored by: Liesbet Hooghe).
- The Evolution of International Law and Courts, in Oxford Handbook of Historical Institutionalism 590 (Orfeo Fioretos, Tulia G. Falleti, and Adam Sheingate eds. 2016).
2015
Articles
- Backlash Against International Courts in West, East and Southern Africa: Causes and Consequences, Icourts Working Paper Series No. 21 (Co-authored by: James Thuo Gathii & Laurence Helfer).
2014
Books
- New Terrain of International Law: Courts, Politics, Rights (Princeton University Press 2014).
- Karen Alter, Cesare Romano and Yuval Shany are the editors of Oxford Handbook On International Adjudication (Oxford University Press 2014) (Co-authored by: Cesare Romano and Yuval Shany).
Articles
- Let Nations, Not the World, Prosecute Corruption, U.s. News & World Report (April 30, 2014) (Co-authored by: Juliet Sorensen).
Contributions to Books
- Altering Politics: International Courts and the Construction of International and Domestic Politics, in Political Representation in the Global Age (Peter A. Hall, Wade Jacoby, Jonah Levy, and Sophie Meunier eds. 2014).
2013
Books
- The New Terrain of International Law: Courts, Politics, Rights (Princeton University Press 2014).
Articles
- A New International Human Rights Court for West Africa: The Court of Justice for the Economic Community of West African States, 107 American Journal of International Law 737 (2013) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer, and Jacqueline McAllister).
- Legitimacy and Lawmaking: A Tale of Three International Courts, 14 Theoretical Inquiries In Law 479-502 (2013) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer).
Contributions to Books
- The Multiple Roles of International Courts and Tribunals: Enforcement, Dispute Settlement, Constitutional and Administrative Review, in International Law and International Relations: Synthesizing Insights from Interdisciplinary Scholarship (Jeffrey L. Dunoff and Mark A. Pollack eds. 2013).
Op-Eds/Blog Posts/Popular Press
- International Law and Chemical Weapons: Conservative Arguments of Substance, THE HUFFINGTON POST (November 15, 2013).
Working Papers
2012
Articles
- Transplanting the European Court of Justice: The Experience of the Andean Tribunal of Justice, 60 American Journal of Comparative Law 709-744 (2012) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer, and Osvaldo Saldias).
- The Global Spread of European Style International Courts, 35 West European Politics 135-154 (2012).
Contributions to Books
- Islands of Effective International Adjudication: Constructing an Intellectual Property Rule of Law in the Andean Community, reprinted in Spanish in Saiz Arnaiz, Alejandro, Morales-Antoniazzi, Meriela and Ugartemendia Eceizabarrena, Juan Ignacio editors Las implicaciones constitucionales de los procesos de integración en América Latina: Un análisis desde la Unión Europea (2012).
Working Papers
2011
Articles
- Tipping the Balance: International Courts and the Construction of International and Domestic Politics, 13 Cambridge Yearbook of European Legal Studies 1-22 (2011).
- Legal Integration in the Andes: Lawmaking by the Andean Tribunal of Justice, 17 European Law Journal 701-15 (2011) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer).
- The Evolving International Judiciary, 7 Annual Review of Law and Social Science 387-415 (2011).
Working Papers
- Transplanting the European Court of Justice: The Experience of the Andean Tribunal of Justice (Co-authored by: Laurence R. Helfer, and Osvaldo Saldias).
2010
Articles
- Islands of Effective International Adjudication: Constructing an Intellectual Property Rule of Law in the Andean Community reprinted, 6 Anuario Andino De Derechos Intelectuales 75-123 (2010) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer and Maria Florencia Guerzovich).
- Nature or Nurture: Lawmaking in the European Court of Justice and the Andean Tribunal of Justice, 64 International Organization 563-592 (2010) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer ).
- The Andean Tribunal of Justice and Its Interlocutors: Understanding Preliminary Reference Patterns in the Andean Community , 41 New York University Journal of International Law And Politics 871-930 (2009) (Co-authored by: Laurence R. Helfer ).
Contributions to Books
- On Law And Policy in the European Court of Justice: An American Perspective, in Europe: The New Legal Realism 1-9 (2011).
- Judicialization of International Relations, in Encyclopedia of Political Science (2011).
2009
Books
- The European Court’s Political Power: Selected Essays (Oxford University Press 2009).
Articles
- The Andean Tribunal of Justice and its Interlocutors: Understanding the Preliminary Ruling Reference Patterns in the Andean Community, 41 Journal of International Law and Politics 871-929 (2009) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer).
- The Politics of International Regime Complexity, 7 Perspectives On Politics 13-24 (2009) (Co-authored by: Sophie Meunier).
- Islands of Effective International Adjudication: Constructing an Intellectual Property Rule of Law in the Andean Community , 103 American Journal of International Law 1-47 (2009) (Co-authored by: Laurence Helfer and Maria Florencia Guerzovich).
Working Papers
2008
Articles
- Delegating to International Courts: Self-Binding vs. Other-Binding Delegation , 71 Law And Contemporary Problems 37-76 (2008).
- Agent or Trustee: International Courts in their Political Context, 14 European Journal of International Relations 33-63 (2008).
2006
Articles
- Private Litigants and the New International Courts, 39 Comparative Political Studies 22-49 (2006).
- Banana Splits: Nested and Competing Regimes in the Transatlantic Banana Trade Dispute, 13 Journal of European Public Policy (2006) (Co-authored by: S. Meunier).
2004
Articles
- Unilateralism and Multilateralism in American Foreign Policy, 6 Northwestern Journal of International Relations (2004).
2003
Articles
- Resolving or Exacerbating Disputes? The WTO's New Dispute Resolution System, 79 (4) International Affairs 783-800 (2003).
- Do International Courts Enhance Compliance with International Law?, 25 Review of Asian and Pacific Studies 51-78 (2003).
2002
Articles
- Law, Political Science and European Union Legal Studies: An interdisciplinary project?, 3 European Union Politics 113-123 (2002) Responses by Renaud Dehouse and Georg Vanberg.
2001
Books
- Establishing the Supremacy of European Law: The Making of an International Rule of Law in Europe (Oxford: Oxford University Press 2001) (Translated into Albanian, 2012).
2000
Articles
- Explaining Variation in the Use of European Litigation Strategies: EC law and UK Gender Equality Policy, 33 (4) Comparative Political Studies 316-346 (2000) (Co-authored by: Jeannette Vargas).
1998
Articles
- Who are the Masters of the Treaty?: European Governments and the European Court of Justice, 52 (1) International Organization 125-152 (1998) Reprinted in Lisa Martin and Beth Simmons eds. International Institutions: An International Organization Reader. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001.
1996
Articles
- The European Court's Political Power, 19 (3) West European Politics 458-487 (1996).
1994
Articles
- Judicial Politics in the European Community: European Integration and the Pathbreaking Cassis de Dijon decision, 24 (4) Comparative Political Studies 535-561 (1994) (Co-authored by: Sophie Meunier-Aitsahalia) Reprinted in Neil Nugent ed. The European Union: Volume II, 397-424. International Library of Politics and Comparative Government. Vermont: Dartmouth Press, 1997.