Dr. Kevin R. Spiker
Dr. Kevin R. Spiker, associate professor of political science at Ohio University Eastern, and Dr. James B. Whisker, professor emeritus of political science at West Virginia University, co-authored a book, The Alien Tort Claims Act.
This is the first in a series of peer-reviewed works that will examine numerous topics in the fields of international law and U.S. military policy.
“The Alien Tort Claims Act, also known as the Alien Tort Statute, was originally part of the Judiciary Act of 1789. Signed into law by President George Washington, this act was one of the most instrumental in the history of the federal judiciary, for it created and established the jurisdiction and structure of the federal courts below the Supreme Court. Initially, the Alien Tort Claims Act applied to violations of basic rules of international law, such as piracy. It was applied at the beginning of 1980 to human rights violations. Its meaning was expanded to incorporate liability, but in 2013 the Supreme Court ended such lawsuits. This book traces the legal evolution of the act, analyzing in detail the various cases decided by the federal and international courts,” according to an Ohio University Eastern article.
“Spiker has been a member of the faculty of Ohio University Eastern since 2005. He earned an undergraduate degree from the Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. from West Virginia University. He routinely teaches courses on American government and politics, public policy, the American presidency, elections and political parties, and political theory. Spiker has published numerous works on midterm elections, congressional-presidential relations, American military history, and international law. He is also involved in the community and serves as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach of the Buckeye Trail Warriors football team.”
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