This course illuminates how political authority is constructed and contested, alongside the role that law and legal actors play in this process. Focusing on the historical development of territorial states, but also considering empires and international organizations, we will debate how these polities emerge, how they project their power and legitimate their authority, how people challenge and resist their rule, and how laws, lawyers, and judges impact these processes of political development. Throughout we will animate our discussions with an array of comparative examples – such as the medieval origins of the rule of law in Europe, the territorial expansion of the US federal state, and the political role that courts play in democratic and authoritarian states today.