Analyzing the Interaction of Legal–Political Approaches by Scholars as a Novel Strategy for Strengthening International Peace and Security (A Descriptive–Analytical Study)

Authors

    Rasool Yousefi Department of Political Science and International Relations, Za.c., Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran.
    Seyed Farshid Jafari Pabandi * Department of Political Science and International Relations, Za.c., Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran Farshid_Jafari@iau.ac.ir
    Malek Zolqadr Department of Political Science and International Relations, Za.c., Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran

Keywords:

International peace and security, international law, international relations, elite approaches, interdisciplinary interaction

Abstract

This paper examines how the synergistic interaction between international relations and international law contributes to the consolidation of global peace. The central question addressed is how scholars’ integration of power-oriented (political) and rule-based (legal) approaches can mitigate implementation gaps in the maintenance of international security. Employing a descriptive–analytical framework and relying on library-based data collection, the study analyzes key legal and political documents, doctrinal writings, and theoretical contributions by leading scholars in both fields. The analysis demonstrates that the separation of legal norms from political realities has frequently resulted in impasses in conflict resolution processes. Nevertheless, interdisciplinary scholarly efforts have generated conceptual frameworks that simultaneously enhance the legitimacy and effectiveness of international institutions. The findings indicate that the integration of legal and political approaches is not merely an academic preference but a strategic necessity. Through the co-creation of a shared scholarly discourse and its indirect influence on state practice, this interdisciplinary synergy functions as a significant catalyst for strengthening international peace and security.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ansari, V. (2015). Iranian Administrative Law. Mizan Publishing House.

Bass, G. J. (2000). Stay the Hand of Vengeance: The Politics of War Crimes Tribunals. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400851713

Bassiouni, M. C. (1996). Searching for Peace and Achieving Justice. Law and Contemporary Problems, 59. https://doi.org/10.2307/1192187

Boyle, A., & Chinkin, C. (2007). The Making of International Law. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/law/9780199213795.003.0001

Cassese, A. (2013). Cassese's International Criminal Law. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/he/9780199694921.001.0001

Evans, G. (2008). The Responsibility to Protect: Ending Mass Atrocity Crimes Once and for All. Brookings Institution Press. https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Responsibility_to_Protect.html?id=Tj4IwhquNG4C

Finnemore, M., & Sikkink, K. (1998). International norm dynamics and political change. International Organization, 52(4), 887-917. https://doi.org/10.1162/002081898550789

Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Pantheon Books. https://books.google.com/books/about/Discipline_and_Punish.html?id=AVzuf-r22eoC

Franck, T. M. (1990). The Power of Legitimacy among Nations. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195061789.001.0001

Goldsmith, J. L., & Posner, E. A. (2005). The Limits of International Law. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195168396.001.0001

Haas, P. M. (1992). Introduction: Epistemic Communities and International Policy Coordination. International Organization, 46(1), 1-35. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818300001442

Henckaerts, J. M., & Doswald-Beck, L. (2005). Customary International Humanitarian Law. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511804700

Henkin, L. (1979). How Nations Behave: Law and Foreign Policy. Columbia University Press. https://books.google.com/books/about/How_Nations_Behave.html?id=84h47OGNklkC

Kelsen, H. (1942). Law and Peace in International Relations. Harvard University Press. https://books.google.com/books/about/Law_and_Peace_in_International_Relations.html?id=wu2VPwAACAAJ

Kelsen, H. (1944). Peace through Law. University of North Carolina Press. https://books.google.com/books?id=hjKnSkfogKYC&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Keohane, R. O. (1984). After Hegemony: Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy. Princeton University Press. https://books.google.com/books/about/After_Hegemony.html?id=HnvpdocqT9EC

Koh, H. H. (1997). Why Nations Obey. The Yale Law Journal, 106(8), 2599-2659. https://doi.org/10.2307/797228

Koskenniemi, M. (2005). From Apology to Utopia: The Structure of International Legal Argument. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511493713

Krasner, S. D. (1983). International Regimes. Cornell University Press. https://books.google.com/books/about/International_Regimes.html?hl=id&id=WIYKBNM5zagC

Lasswell, H. D., & McDougal, M. S. (1992). Jurisprudence for a Free Society: Studies in Law, Science and Policy. New Haven Press. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004534261

Montville, J. V. (1991). The Arrow and the Olive Branch; A Case for Track Two Diplomacy. In. Lexington Books. https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Arrow_and_the_Olive_Branch.html?id=E0AZzgEACAAJ

Morgenthau, H. J. (1948). Politics among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. Alfred A. Knopf. https://books.google.com/books/about/Politics_Among_Nations.html?id=M9IlAAAAMAAJ

Reus-Smit, C. (2004). The Politics of International Law. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511491641

Sassòli, M. (2019). International Humanitarian Law: Rules, Controversies, and Solutions to Problems Arising in Warfare. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://books.google.com/books/about/International_Humanitarian_Law.html?id=95GODwAAQBAJ

Schabas, W. A. (2017). An Introduction to the International Criminal Court. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316459997

Shapiro, M. M. (1981). Courts: A Comparative and Political Analysis. University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226161341.001.0001

Shaw, M. N. (2017). International Law. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316979815

Sikkink, K. (2011). The Justice Cascade: How Human Rights Prosecutions Are Changing World Politics. W. W. Norton & Company. https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Justice_Cascade.html?id=EmLkNTdh-PkC

Slaughter, A.-M. (2004). A New World Order. Princeton University Press. https://books.google.com/books?id=WzG5qJM0AekC&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Stahn, C. (2007). "Jus post bellum": Mapping the Discipline(s). American Journal of International Law, 101(4), 921-948. https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1022&context=auilr

Stone Sweet, A. (2000). Governing with Judges: Constitutional Politics in Europe. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/0198297718.001.0001

Tannenwald, N. (2007). The Nuclear Taboo: The United States and the Non-Use of Nuclear Weapons since 1945. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511491726

United Nations. (1945). Charter of the United Nations and Statute of the International Court of Justice. https://treaties.un.org/doc/publication/ctc/uncharter.pdf

Waltz, K. N. (1979). Theory of International Politics. McGraw-Hill. https://books.google.com/books/about/Theory_of_International_Politics.html?id=Z17uAAAAMAAJ

Weber, M. (1978). Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology. University of California Press. https://books.google.com/books/about/Economy_and_Society.html?id=pSdaNuIaUUEC

Wendt, A. (1992). Anarchy is what States make of it: The Social Construction of Power Politics. International Organization, 46(2). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818300027764

Yousefi Jooybari, M., & Khorshidi, N. (2018). The Dialectic of Law and Politics in the Approach of the English School of International Relations. International Relations Quarterly. https://jpq.ut.ac.ir/article_66427.html

Downloads

Additional Files

Published

2026-07-01

Submitted

2025-11-12

Revised

2026-02-03

Accepted

2026-02-07

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Yousefi, R., Jafari Pabandi, S. F. ., & Zolqadr, M. . (2026). Analyzing the Interaction of Legal–Political Approaches by Scholars as a Novel Strategy for Strengthening International Peace and Security (A Descriptive–Analytical Study). Interdisciplinary Studies in Society, Law, and Politics, 1-13. https://journalisslp.com/index.php/isslp/article/view/443

Similar Articles

131-140 of 270

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Most read articles by the same author(s)