John G. Oates received his PhD in Political Science from The Ohio State University, his MA from the Committee on International Relations at the University of Chicago, and his MS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. His research focuses on the dynamics of authority and legitimacy in global governance, with a particular interest in the dynamics of constituent power in world politics.
His first book develops a constitutional theory of international organization to explain how supranational organizations become legitimate authorities in a world of sovereign states. His current book project traces the tradition of popular internationalism through the twentieth century, examining the successes and failures of the movement to empower public opinion as a force in world politics.
Dr. Oates currently teaches undergraduate courses on International Law, International Organizations, International Humanitarian Law, and Science Fiction and Political Imaginations. He also teaches graduate courses on International Organization, Non-State Actors, and Research Design.
research interests
International law and Organization, IR theory, Social theory, and Normative International Theory