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Papers by Daniel Skeffington

Research paper thumbnail of Report: AUKUS and War Powers

KCL Occasional Report, 2024

This report explores the legal and political alignment of Australian, British, and American war p... more This report explores the legal and political alignment of Australian, British, and American war powers, within the context of the AUKUS (Australia, U.K., U.S.) security partnership. While the focus of the AUKUS agreement has been on industrial and technological factors, achieving the strategic and deterrent effects that the partnership hopes to project will depend on how its capabilities are used. To that end, the partners will have to align their political and legal systems closely to produce the desired effects. Yet this is easier said than done. Misunderstandings over each other's constitutional war power procedures can have significant diplomatic and strategic consequences. Notably, in 2013, when President Obama called off airstrikes against Bashar Assad's regime, after its use of chemical weapons, David Cameron's unexpected failure to obtain parliamentary support for British participation was cited as a key reason for the reversal.

Research paper thumbnail of Historical Interpretation and the War Prerogative: The Case of the Royal Navy

Research paper thumbnail of The Concept of the Constitution in the Jurisprudence of Michael Oakeshott

LSE Law Review

Michael Oakeshott, Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics (1950-1968), ... more Michael Oakeshott, Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics (1950-1968), wrote and taught extensively on history, politics, philosophy, and law. Yet one of the central concepts in state theory, the constitution, goes almost unmentioned in his work, leading one to question whether, for him, such a concept even exists. This essay explores that question, arguing that such a concept does indeed exist. For Oakeshott, the constitution is learned and professed rather than written down and applied, in the manner of a vernacular language. This essay proceeds in six sections; section one examines the foundations of his thought, the Latin concepts of lex and jus, which stand for the written laws and ‘rightness’ of these laws. Section two explores how these concepts interact, and the relationship between politics and the law in the constitution. Section three expands on Tom Poole’s understanding of societas and universitas, the two ‘poles’ between which Oakeshott’s moral...

Research paper thumbnail of A Place for Rebels? The Limbo Years, 1966–1989

Ubiquity Press eBooks, Sep 13, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Introduction: The Department of Government— A Brief History

Ubiquity Press eBooks, Sep 13, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Introduction: The Department of Government— A Brief History

Political Science at the LSE: A History of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of A Place for Rebels? The Limbo Years, 1966–1989

Political Science at the LSE: A History of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of New Dawn: The Turn of the Millennium, 1990–2020

Political Science at the LSE: A History of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Q and A with Professor Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey, Dr Gordon Bannerman and Daniel Skeffington on Political Science at the LSE: a history of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID

London School of Economics and Political Science, Sep 17, 2021

You can visit the Ubiquity Press website to purchase Political Science at the LSE or download a f... more You can visit the Ubiquity Press website to purchase Political Science at the LSE or download a free, open access copy. Dr Gordon Bannerman has also provided an introduction to the book on LSE History blog. Q&A on Political Science at the LSE: A History of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID. Ubiquity Press. 2021. Q: Why is 2021 such an apt time to reflect on the history of LSE Department of Government? Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey: In an ideal world, this history of the Department would have come out in 2020 to align with LSE's 125th anniversary. While other departments had told their histories, we had not yet done so. Hence, the motivation was quite simple in having the chance to 'tell our story' and be part of the celebratory atmosphere which the 125th anniversary promised the School.

Research paper thumbnail of The Orator and the Conversationalist: From Laski to Oakeshott, 1921–1965

Political Science at the LSE: A History of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Report: AUKUS and War Powers

KCL Occasional Report, 2024

This report explores the legal and political alignment of Australian, British, and American war p... more This report explores the legal and political alignment of Australian, British, and American war powers, within the context of the AUKUS (Australia, U.K., U.S.) security partnership. While the focus of the AUKUS agreement has been on industrial and technological factors, achieving the strategic and deterrent effects that the partnership hopes to project will depend on how its capabilities are used. To that end, the partners will have to align their political and legal systems closely to produce the desired effects. Yet this is easier said than done. Misunderstandings over each other's constitutional war power procedures can have significant diplomatic and strategic consequences. Notably, in 2013, when President Obama called off airstrikes against Bashar Assad's regime, after its use of chemical weapons, David Cameron's unexpected failure to obtain parliamentary support for British participation was cited as a key reason for the reversal.

Research paper thumbnail of Historical Interpretation and the War Prerogative: The Case of the Royal Navy

Research paper thumbnail of The Concept of the Constitution in the Jurisprudence of Michael Oakeshott

LSE Law Review

Michael Oakeshott, Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics (1950-1968), ... more Michael Oakeshott, Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics (1950-1968), wrote and taught extensively on history, politics, philosophy, and law. Yet one of the central concepts in state theory, the constitution, goes almost unmentioned in his work, leading one to question whether, for him, such a concept even exists. This essay explores that question, arguing that such a concept does indeed exist. For Oakeshott, the constitution is learned and professed rather than written down and applied, in the manner of a vernacular language. This essay proceeds in six sections; section one examines the foundations of his thought, the Latin concepts of lex and jus, which stand for the written laws and ‘rightness’ of these laws. Section two explores how these concepts interact, and the relationship between politics and the law in the constitution. Section three expands on Tom Poole’s understanding of societas and universitas, the two ‘poles’ between which Oakeshott’s moral...

Research paper thumbnail of A Place for Rebels? The Limbo Years, 1966–1989

Ubiquity Press eBooks, Sep 13, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Introduction: The Department of Government— A Brief History

Ubiquity Press eBooks, Sep 13, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Introduction: The Department of Government— A Brief History

Political Science at the LSE: A History of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of A Place for Rebels? The Limbo Years, 1966–1989

Political Science at the LSE: A History of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of New Dawn: The Turn of the Millennium, 1990–2020

Political Science at the LSE: A History of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Q and A with Professor Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey, Dr Gordon Bannerman and Daniel Skeffington on Political Science at the LSE: a history of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID

London School of Economics and Political Science, Sep 17, 2021

You can visit the Ubiquity Press website to purchase Political Science at the LSE or download a f... more You can visit the Ubiquity Press website to purchase Political Science at the LSE or download a free, open access copy. Dr Gordon Bannerman has also provided an introduction to the book on LSE History blog. Q&A on Political Science at the LSE: A History of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID. Ubiquity Press. 2021. Q: Why is 2021 such an apt time to reflect on the history of LSE Department of Government? Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey: In an ideal world, this history of the Department would have come out in 2020 to align with LSE's 125th anniversary. While other departments had told their histories, we had not yet done so. Hence, the motivation was quite simple in having the chance to 'tell our story' and be part of the celebratory atmosphere which the 125th anniversary promised the School.

Research paper thumbnail of The Orator and the Conversationalist: From Laski to Oakeshott, 1921–1965

Political Science at the LSE: A History of the Department of Government, from the Webbs to COVID, 2021