About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

39 Comp. Pol. Stud. 3 (2006)

handle is hein.journals/compls39 and id is 1 raw text is: Collparin li Politica1 Studies andim Governance Rache Ay2006 3-21 UiestoWahntPulications Introduction nd t ti h in goas. irs, tey labrat an prmot a ompratvepprachttp:/esd geu~of hosted at Courts, Democracy, htal//oulinsagepubro om and Governance Rachel A. Cichowski University of Washington, Seattle This introduction and the articles tat follow are motivated by three main goals. First, they elaborate and promote a comparative approach to the study of international legal institutions. Second, they seek to better understand the role of courts in transforming international and domestic governance. Finally, the central aim of the issue is to examine how the legalization of global politics may be linked to changes in democratic participation. The overarching aim is to examine the factors shaping when and how courts may serve as arenas for citizen participation leading to important political, legal, and social develop- ments. This introductory article provides a testable framework elaborating both the opportunities and limitations of this dynamic for democratic politics. Keywords: judicicialization; governance; democracy; democratic partici- pation; judicial politics In the past 50 years, courts have incrementally transformed international politics. From war crimes to the adjudication of trade disputes, judicial organizations have both empowered and constrained nation-states-the dominant actors in global politics. Yet little is known about how this transfor- mation may affect individuals and society at both the domestic and interna- tional levels. With the expansion of regional and international legal systems, individuals are now increasingly governed by a dense and binding set of international norms-often policies constructed with little or no direct dem- ocratic participation by society. Understanding the interaction between inter- Author's Note: The author would like to acknowledge insightful comments from Karen Alter, Lisa Conant, Dan Kelemen, Jim Caporaso, Tanja Btrzel, Sally Kenney, and anonymous review- ers. The general ideas developed in this piece were also fostered by discussions and earlier col- laborative work with Alec Stone Sweet (Cichowski & Stone Sweet, 2003). The author would also like to recognize the Department of Political Science and European Union Center at the Uni- versity of Washington for their generosity in supporting this research project. 3

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most