Congressional and Supreme Court Restraints on Treaty Termination Carried Out at the President’s “Lowest Ebb” of Authority

Shervin Taheran illustrates the alarming trend of US presidents who indicate they can unilaterally withdraw from treaties without congressional approval. She argues the Executive Branch is not the “sole organ” to decide whether the United States can terminate a treaty. After examining international law pertaining to treaties, Taheran discusses how constitutional principles, textual evidence, historical… Continue reading Congressional and Supreme Court Restraints on Treaty Termination Carried Out at the President’s “Lowest Ebb” of Authority

Advanced Reactors and Nuclear Terrorism: Rethinking the International Framework

While nuclear energy today provides about 10% of global electricity generation in reliable, carbon-free form, the immense destruction tied to its origins casts a long shadow. This tension between terrible and peaceful power underlies the expansive non-proliferation regime of international law, a framework meant to keep nuclear technology from being diverted from this peaceful use… Continue reading Advanced Reactors and Nuclear Terrorism: Rethinking the International Framework

A Bellicose Founding Charter: The US and Providing for the “Common Defence”

In this book review, the author analyzes Akhil Reed Amar’s The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840. Specifically, the author focuses on Amar’s central thesis—that the fundamental reason behind the US Constitution was national security—and how that should affect our reading of the Constitution today. The author concludes that Amar’s book is noteworthy… Continue reading A Bellicose Founding Charter: The US and Providing for the “Common Defence”