In George Bush's Second Inaugural Address, he stated, "so it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture ..."

Along with such a formidable challenge, comes the essential need for scholars and policy makers alike to gain a deeper understanding of the interrelationship between law, society, and culture. Collected from the successful 2005 Syracuse conference of the same name, the papers in this unique issue of The ANNALS zero in on critical studies that focus on other societies -...