The European Court's Political Power

• I. Studying the European Court of Justice


• 1: The European Court's Political Power Across Time and Space (2009)


• 2: The European Court and Legal Integration: An Exceptional Story or Harbinger of the Future? (2008)


• II. The ECJ During the Founding Period of Legal Integration (1952-1980)




• 4: Jurist Advocacy Movements in Europe: The Role of Euro-Law Associations in European Integration (1953-1975) (2009)


• 5: The European Court's Political Power: The Emergence of an Authoritative International Court in the European Union (1996)


• 6: Who are the 'Masters of the Treaty'? European Governments and the European Court of Justice (1998)


• III. The ECJ and its Varied Influence on European Policy and Politics (1980-2005)


• 7: Judicial Politics in the European Community: European Integration and the Pathbreaking Cassis de Dijon decision with Sophie Meunier (1994)


• 8: Explaining Variation in the Use of European Litigation Strategies: European Community Law and British Gender Equality Policy with Jeannette Vargas (2000)


• 9: The European Union's Legal System and Domestic Policy: Spillover or Backlash? (2000)


• 10: Banana Splits: Nested and Overlapping Regimes in the Transatlantic Banana Trade Dispute with Sophie Meunier (2006)


• IV. Beyond European Court Politics- The ECJ in a Comparative Perspective


• 11: Agents or Trustees? International Courts in their Political Context (2008)


• 12: Private Litigants and the New International Courts (2006)


• 13: Law and Politics in Europe and Beyond (2009)

Karen J. Alter is Associate Professor of Political Science, Northwestern University. She is the author of Establishing the Supremacy of European Law: The Making of an International Rule of Law in Europe (OUP: 2001).

The theories and models that Alter constructs as well as the theoretical and methodological questions considered at very least point toward a number of likely lines of inquiry at both the national and regional levels. The in-depth qualitative analyses of particular cases used to derive and test theories and propositions found throughout Alter's work are also a high point. Evan Rosevear, Law and Politics Book Review The aim of Alter's book is to strengthen her contribution to our understanding of how international courts can impact on policy making at both the national and international level...Alter's book is a must-read for anyone concerned with the process of translating international law into social and political reality Marie-Pierre Granger, Central European University, The Modern Law Review Spanning the last fifteen years, one of the most recognized and respected scholars of the European Court of Justice has brought together between two covers many of her most important papers. Alter's deeply contextualized understanding of the Court dissents from both specific legal doctrinal analysis that tends to overlook political conflicts and overly general social scientific generalizations that breezily bypass a deeply grounded understanding of the politics of European law. An additional virtue of this outstanding collection is its comparative perspective on the European court and its recognition of broader international developments to which the Court may have given rise. Among both scholars and practitioners this book should find a large and avid readership. Peter J. Katzenstein, Walter S. Carpenter, Jr. Professor of International Studies, Cornell University ...it is a very good complementary reading in order to understand the history behind many landmark cases and legal policy decisions. For people with little exposure to the existing literature on European legal integration, the book is definitely a good starting point...Professor Alter must be commended for bringing

The theories and models that Alter constructs as well as the theoretical and methodological questions considered at very least point toward a number of likely lines of inquiry at both the national and regional levels. The in-depth qualitative analyses of particular cases used to derive and test theories and propositions found throughout Alter's work are also a high point. Evan Rosevear, Law and Politics Book Review