Conventionally understood as a set of limits on state behavior, the "rule of law" in world politics is widely assumed to serve as a progressive contribution to a just, stable, and predictable world. A reconsideration of the rule of law in world politics and its relationship to state power, this book examines how and why governments use and manipulate international law in foreign policy.

Rule of law, domestic and international --How to do things with international law -- The permissive power of the ban on war -- The rule of no law : nukes, drones, and the horror vacui -- Torture : legitimation and legality -- The empire of international legalism.