Howse: The WTO System: Law, Politics and Legitimacy

Robert Howse (Univ. of Michigan - Law) has published The WTO System: Law, Politics & Legitimacy (Cameron May 2007). Here's the abstract:

No one with a serious professional or intellectual interest in the WTO can ignore the essays in this volume, many of which have been major flashpoints of controversy and debate in the field - such as the attack on the product/process distinction and the critique of the "constitutional" perspective on the WTO, to give but two examples. Written against the backdrop of the post-Seattle legitimacy crisis of the WTO, these works consider how the doctrine and method of WTO adjudication have responded, especially in sensitive areas such as trade and environment, and health and safety regulation. In addition to providing careful case law analysis, which often illuminates neglected or misunderstood aspects of Appellate Body rulings, the author deploys a variety of interdisciplinary tools, drawing from political philosophy, international relations theory, information economics, and comparative politics, in order to provide an original and provocative perspective on the underlying questions of principle and power that are central to the legitimacy crisis of the WTO.