International Courts and Global Democracy: Rights Adjudication Beyond the State.

This paper examines the connection between rights, international courts and the changing nature of democratic participation. The general comparative model developed is then applied to a time-series analysis of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The paper is the first to offer a systematic social science analysis of ECHR decisions with particular emphasis on changing democratic opportunities for individuals at both the domestic and supranational level. The findings reveal how rights and access to the ECHR have come to shape how international legal institutions serve as arenas for public participation - a consequence that brings into question dominant theories of international organization. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]