Jeffrey S. Morton (born March 13, 1964) is the Pierrepont Comfort Chair in Political Science at

Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Florida, Dania Beach, Davie, Florida, Davie, Fort Lauderd ...

and a Fellow at the Foreign Policy Association.Wagner, Jodie. ''FAU professor made quick decision about career path'' http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/social-networking/fau-professor-made-quick-decision-about-career-pat/nLrxp/ Palm Beach Post. (27 April 2011). A native of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, he earned a B.A. from the

University of North Carolina at Charlotte The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colle ...

, an M.A. from

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

and Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1995. In 1986 he completed the International Law Commission Summer training program at the

United Nations Office at Geneva The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG, french: Office des Nations Unies à Genève) in Geneva, Switzerland, is one of the four major offices of the United Nations where numerous different UN agencies have a joint presence. The main UNOG ...

. Morton has written three books and numerous journal articles, book chapters and editorials.

Research

Jeffrey Morton specializes in

international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...

with a principal focus on the laws of armed conflict. His first book, ''The International Law Commission of the United Nations'' (University of South Carolina Press, 2001), is an empirical analysis of the Commission’s work on the Draft Code of Crimes Against the Peace and Security of Mankind. The manuscript was well received as one of the first data-based analyses in the field.Felice, William. Review of: ''The International Law Commission of the United Nations'' by Jeffrey S. Morton. ''The American Political Science Review.'' Vol. 95, No. 4 (Dec., 2001), pp. 1040-1041. Published by: American Political Science Association. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3117794Rosenstock, Robert. Review of: ''The International Law Commission of the United Nations'' by Jeffrey S. Morton. ''The American Journal of International Law.'' Vol. 96, No. 1 (Jan., 2002), pp. 273-275. Published by: American Society of International Law. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2686147 His journal publications have addressed a wide range of conflicts and weapons of war, including blinding lasers, tactical

nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...

landmines A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...

, depleted uranium shells,

mercenaries A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...

genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...

and the 1999 Kosovo War.Moe, Marit. Review of : ''Reflections on the Balkan Wars: Ten Years after the Break-Up of Yugoslavia'' by Jeffrey S. Morton; Craig Nation; Paul C. Forage; Stefano Bianchini. ''Journal of Peace Research''. Vol. 42, No. 5 (Sep., 2005), pp. 646-647. Published by: Sage Publications, Ltd. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/30042397.

Honors

At Florida Atlantic University, Jeffrey Morton has been the recipient of the Researcher of the Year Award, Talon Service Award, Master Teacher Designation, Lifelong Learning Society Distinguished Professor, and University Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award. Morton is a past recipient of the Foreign Policy Association (FPA) Medal, which is awarded to leading practitioners, academics and members of the foreign policy establishment.

Other Work and Engagement

Jeffrey Morton has founded and developed three major programs at

. In 1996 he established the Diplomacy Program, which trains undergraduate students in the art of

diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...

and

conflict resolution Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of conflict and retribution. Committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information abou ...

.Marcus, Jonathan. ''FAU students excel at model United Nations competitions.'' http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-06-04/news/fl-cn-diplomacy-0605-20110604_1_simulation-students-national-model-united-nations. Sun-Sentinel. (5 June 2011). His program has competed in academic diplomacy simulations nationally and internationally.National Model United Nations 2013 Award Recipients: http://www.nmun.org/ny_archives/ny13_downloads/2013_Awards_ConfB.pdf In 2016, the program was named in honor of Leon Charney, a key player in the Camp David Accord. Four times, the Leon Charney Diplomacy Program placed first overall at the National

Model United Nations Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an educational simulation in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. At a MUN conference, students work as the representative of a count ...

competition in Washington, D.C. and once in New York City. In 1997 he co-established the FAU Peace Studies Program, which he directed from 2001 until 2005. Peace Studies was transformed in 2016 into the Peace, Justice & Human Rights Initiative. Jeffrey Morton has served on the Program's Executive Committee since its inception. In 2020, made possible with a seed donation of $500,000, the Morton Research Forum was established in the

Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College The Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College is an academic, residential college of Florida Atlantic University at the John D. MacArthur campus in Jupiter, Florida. The college opened in 1999 and offers a liberal arts education through the platform of a ...

at Florida Atlantic. The Forum serves as a think tank that promotes critical studies of American foreign policy and global affairs. Jeffrey Morton lectures widely on matters of international law,

U.S. foreign policy The officially stated goals of the foreign policy of the United States of America, including all the bureaus and offices in the United States Department of State, as mentioned in the ''Foreign Policy Agenda'' of the Department of State, are ...

, conflict and

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

. In 2021, the

Foreign Policy Association The Foreign Policy Association (formerly known as the League of Free Nations Association) is a non-profit organization founded in 1918 dedicated to inspiring the American public to learn more about the world. The Foreign Policy Association aims to ...

launched its annual live ''Great Decisions'' Master Class. Jeffrey Morton delivers the eight lecture series.

Foreign Policy Views

Jeffrey Morton is considered a pragmatist in his conceptualization of world affairs and U.S. foreign policy, grounding his analysis in

legal realism Legal realism is a naturalistic approach to law. It is the view that jurisprudence should emulate the methods of natural science, i.e., rely on empirical evidence. Hypotheses must be tested against observations of the world. Legal realists be ...

. He was a strong supporter of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 1991 following its

occupation of Kuwait The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was an operation conducted by Iraq on 2 August 1990, whereby it invaded the neighboring State of Kuwait, consequently resulting in a seven-month-long Iraqi military occupation of the country. The invasion and Ira ...

, but was a vocal public critic of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, both prior to and after the intervention. He claimed that even a quick and successful war that introduced

democracy in Iraq Democracy for the government of Iraq has been a long sought after goal by politicians, activists, and revolutionaries. It is considered to be a new, "fledgeling process" or phenomenon in Iraq, commonly afflicted by corruption, civil and ethnic con ...

would result in a significant strategic victory for Iran. In a live television interview on the day that

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

forces initiated an aerial assault on

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

in 2011, Morton labeled the policy a strategic blunder.FAU professor Jeffrey S. Morton, Ph.D. - U.S. and Libya, "no-fly zone":'http://www.downloadmela.com/video/14437/FAU-professor-Jeffrey-S-Morton-Ph-D-U-S-and-Libya-no-fly-zone-.html' He argued that Libya, like Iraq in 2003, was ill prepared for democratic pluralism and would ultimately disintegrate into lawless factions.

Publications

"Women and War: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Women’s Rights in Post-Civil War Society." Co-authored with Mehmet Gurses and Aimee Arias. ''Civil Wars'' (2020). "Reflections on the International Law Commission." ''Florida International University Journal of International Law'' (2019). "The Legality of the NATO Invasion of Libya." ''The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences: Annual Review'' (2015). “The Mine Ban Treaty: Compliance Among Latin American States." ''International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences'' (2012). “The Arab Spring: Implications for Israeli Security." ''Mediterranean Quarterly'' (2012). “The Prohibition on Landmines.” ''International Journal of the Humanities'' (2009). “Crisis in American Foreign Policy Identity.” ''International Journal of the Humanities'' (2007). “Depleted Uranium Munitions: Clear Threat to Human Security.” ''Australasian Journal of Human Security'' (2006). “The Legal Status of Tactical Nuclear Weapons.” ''International Journal of the Humanities'' (2006). “The Legal Regulation of Conflict Diamonds.” ''Journal of Politics & Policy'' (2005). “Re-Assessing the ‘Power of Power Politics’ Thesis: Is Realism Still Dominant?” ''International Studies Review'' (2005). ''Reflections on the Balkans: Ten Years After the Break-Up of Yugoslavia''. (Palgrave Macmillan Press, 2004). “The Legality of NATO’s Intervention in Yugoslavia in 1999: Implications for the Progressive Development of International Law.” ''Journal of International and Comparative Law'' (2003). “The International Legal Regime on Genocide.” ''Journal of Genocide Research'' (2003). “The Legal Status of Mercenaries.” ''Journal of Politics & Policy'' (2002). “The International Legal Adjudication of the Crime of Genocide.” ''Journal of International and Comparative Law'' (2001). “Uncertainty, Change and War: Power Fluctuations and War in the Modern Elite Power System.” ''Journal of Peace Research'' (2001) “The United Nations and US Participation: The UNESCO Case.” ''Political Chronicle'' (2001). ''The International Law Commission of the United Nations''. (University of South Carolina Press, 2000). "The End of the Cold War and International Law: An Empirical Analysis." ''Journal of Global Society'' (1999). “The Legal Status of Laser Weapons that Blind.” ''Journal of Peace Research'' (1998). "The International Law Commission of the United Nations: Legal Vacuum or Microcosm of World Politics?" ''International Interactions'' (1997).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morton, Jeffrey S. 1964 births Living people Writers from North Carolina Florida Atlantic University alumni Rutgers University alumni University of North Carolina at Charlotte alumni University of South Carolina alumni Florida Atlantic University faculty