PS 487 MT 1

IGOs defined

organisations as a product of governments cooperating for a common cause / organisations that include at least 3 states as members, have activities in several states and are created through a formal intergovernmental agreement such as a treaty, charter or statute, they also have HQ, exec head bureaucracies and budgets

membership variation

fr 3 to more than 190 / trilaterals like NAFTA and USMCA / lots of countries in an organisation like the UN

IGO scopes

global - UN, WHO / regional - EU / subregional - gulf cooperation council

IGO purposes

general - UN / specialised - WTO

types of actors differing fr other governance organisations like states

have a sort of legal foundation / legally recognised subjects of international law with separate standing from their member states

types of actors and legal personhood defined

even if IGOs are agents of their member states - legal personhood permits actions on their behalf

what can IGOs under legal personhood enter into

treaties / diplomatic immunities / claim reparations for damages / be held liable for international wrongs

what do courts recognising legal personhood for IGOs do to IGOs

if they recognise an IGO to be a person then it makes IGOs liable just like states are

IGO dilemma primarily against states and delegated authority

delegated authority acting on behalf - sort of like a lawyer

IGO dilemma primarily against states and their relationships with IGOs

states are IGO’s principles / IGOs are states’ agents / their choices, decisions and interests are acted on by the IGOs

IGO dilemma and bureaucratic and political roles are the basis for relative autonomy from states

IGO secretariats often do much more than their member states may have intended / bureaucracy has space to act - degree for autonomy but there is constraints to the autonomy

IGO dilemma example

US involvement in the iran-iraq war / kofi annan stated that the US was fighting an illegal war fr the POV of the UN and the UN charter

IGO effectiveness general

as with all governance, effectiveness or the ability to deliver public goods and to make a difference matters

IGO effectiveness in politics

is about a common good or people’s collective interests and concerns / involves power / inevitably conflictual / contested and not clear cut

IGO effectiveness in politics being about a common good or people’s collective interests and concerns

achieving the goal of the common good is a criteria of effectiveness

IGO effectiveness in politics involving power

enforcement is a part of the criteria

IGO effectiveness in politics being inevitably conflictual

actors may define things differently - willingness is different - benefits are different for each actor

framework in evaluating effectiveness - outputs

what rules, decisions, organisations, programs or resources did governance produce

framework in evaluating effectiveness - output example

nuclear non proliferation / nuke holding states can’t transfer nukes to non nuke holding states / eventual disarm / share civilian nuclear tech

framework in evaluating effectiveness - outcomes

did relevant actors change behaviour or comply / mixed evidence with the nuclear non proliferation / some compliance and some non compliance - fairly effective based on the outcomes bc it minimised the spread of nukes

framework in evaluating effectiveness - impacts

did the conditions in the underlying problem improve for who and how long / CEDAW - reducing women’s inequality - impact was limited

framework in evaluating effectiveness - recurring checks

compared to what the baseline is before action - CEDAW is better or worse in the end for women around the world

who’s in charge

UN general assembly - closest thing to world government / antonio gutteres - sec gen UN

instead of a central power in charge what is there in the international world

no centre for power rather centres of power in different organisations / no overarching authority

global governance defined

synonym for international organisations / used to capture the complexity and dynamism of the collective efforts by states and an increasing variety of nonstate actors to identify, understand and address various issues and problems in today’s world / a patchwork

global governance elements

problem solving / no overarching authority - anarchy / mix of actors, rules and processes / governance - steering or directing processes

why not a world government

idea of all human kind united under one common political authority - diversity of values might lead to internal conflict

why not a world government - unlike a state - in degree or in kind

decentralised, multiple power centres and complex processes / governance is achieved in the multiple imperfect processes still - there just isn’t a final authority

power and its basic definition

the ability of an actor to get others to do what you want even if they are not motivated to do it or would seek to resist

power doesn’t have a…

single expression and form

power framework elements

compulsory and institutional

power and a compulsory framework

most visible form of power / the simple definition / direct control of one actor over another / imperialism and conquest / economic sanctions harming another’s industries / punishment - global governance and war criminals going to jail

power and its complex definition

power is the production in and through social relations of effects that shape the capacities of actors to determine their own circumstances and fate

power and an institutional framework

design and functioning of institutions that benefit some and not others / UNSCR membership and veto / IMF lending rules, creditor states can shape the choices of debtor states - voting weights are different depending on contributions / tends to benefit some actors more than others

multilateralism and why states join IGOs

provide states a platform for voice and interests / multilateral negotiations are more efficient than hundreds of separate agreements among 2+ actors / states join to participate in a stable negotiating forum, permitting rapid reactions in times of crisis

multilateralism and negotiations are more efficient than hundreds of separate agreements among 2+ actors

stabilises rule systems overtime that states can rely on rather than negotiating them / better than one off agreements for ongoing issues

multilateralism and states join to participate in a stable negotiating forum, permitting rapid reactions in times of crisis

joining IGOs to negotiated and implement agreements that reflect their own interests and those of the larger community / take advantage of centralised organisation in implementing collective tasks / participaiton allows a voice in international debates on international issues as well as a say on critical norms of behaviour / frequently agree to delegate program implementation to international bureaucrats

what does multilateralism enhance internationally

it enhances transparency, compliance and dispute settlement

multilateralism defined

a group of states coordinating their relations according to certain principles - with the expectation that each will benefit in the long run

3 key features of multilateralism that distinguish it from other lateralisms as a form of interstate relations

3 or more states / generalised principles and rules / reciprocity overtime

generalised principles and rules as a key feature of multilateralism that distinguish it from other lateralisms as a form of interstate relations

things are settled by appeal to rules tat are meant to las over time and not just at the whim of the actors / states coordinate according to common rules that apply across participants - rules are designed to last / not simply a collection of separate bargains tailored to each relationship

reciprocity overtime as a key feature of multilateralism that distinguish it from other lateralisms as a form of interstate relations

states need not benefit equally from every decision / idea is that over the long run states gain more than if they weren’t in a multilateral agreement - mutual gain - exchanging short term selfish interests for long term benefit / not the same as domination - one or more powerful states imposing outcomes primarily for their own advantage

themes of the history of global governance

innovations respond to remergent global problems and new ideas / institutions reflect interests and power / histories include exclusions and marginalised agency

antecedents of global governance

practices / ancient greek city states / northern EU hanseatic league

practices as antecedents of global governance

diplomacy, customs on legitimate war, religious and moral codes, trade / example in the latin pacta sunt servanda - treaties must be observed

ancient greek city states as antecedents of global governance

regional and cultural set of norms around war, religious law

northern EU hanseatic league as an antecedent of global governance

1200-1500s / regulating trade and commerce

state sovereignty through the 1648 peace of westphalia

a turning pointn / conventional marker / sovereignty

state sovereignty through the 1648 peace of westphalia and it being a conventional marker

origins of modern global governance based on independent separate states - treaties of westphalia 1648

state sovereignty through the 1648 peace of westphalia and sovereignty itself

each prince or state is the highest authority within the realm, excluding authority and power of others / sovereignty remains core to global governance today

19th cen concert of EU

after the FR rev and NP’s march across EU - threat to balance of power and EU monarchical rule / EU great powers regular informal meetings, semi institutionalised meetings and consultations to manage the system - areas of common interests

legacies of the concert of europe

great powers having greater responsibility and influence - precursor to UNSCR - G7 and BRICS / ongoing and active management rather than reaction

19th cen public international unions

creation of functional international organisations to manage cooperation and standards for non political tasks / common problems that states put IGOs together for without political influence / first institutionalised IGOs / first secretariats pro staff and bureaucracies / there was a demand for IGOs to place a spine on global governance and standardisation for non political areas

19th cen public international unions and the creation of functional international organisations to manage cooperation and standards for non political tasks

central commission for navigation on the rhine / international telegraph union / international postal union

more complexity to globalise history especially from

actors in the global south / international civil society / international as an ideological framework

existing histories according to owens

wrongly convey the impression that women in the past did not think seriously about international politics

women and women’s movements active in the late 19th and early 20th cen

peace movements / lobbying for the creation of international organisation / not a unified movement but some ties across regions and between imperial centres and colonised regions

agency within gendered constraints

women’s agency was within constraints bc of gendered norms / but demands for agency and equality challenge the status quo / representation and inclusion

agency within gendered constraints and women’s agency was within constraints bc of gendered norms

from at least the late 19th cen women’s movements and activities for global governance reforms alongside domestic reform / gender constructs women as non political and caregivers fr gender norms at the time - women advocating for issues consistent with gendered framing

agency within gendered constraints and demands for agency and equality challenging the status quo

that rule by men cannot be relied upon to stop war and injustices that affect everyone

agency within gendered constraints and representation and inclusion

across class, race religious and nationalist demarcations

league of nations

founded after ww1 1919 / precursor to the UN / first general purpose and nominally open membership organisation / very little african nations included

contradiction b/w national self determination and inequality

league’s raised expectations and dashed hopes / JP proposal for a clause against racial discrimination and for racial equality rejected by EU powers in negotiations / non racial discrimination clause shut down by EU countries to maintain their colonial holdings

pan africanism - transnational agency

pan african congress starting in the early 1900s / political and intellectual movement to unite people of african descent fr around the world - leaders fr the US, caribbean and africa / participants created alliances and ideologies that influenced the origins of the UN and the use of ideals of self determination and human rights to fight for racial equality and statehood

history of global governance as a whole

driven by new crises, problems and ideas / reflects the context and power dynamics in which actions events and change happen / history of global governance is not yet settled bc its being retold

why sovereign states cooperate

different interests but they go thru the process of trying to find common ground to cooperate and not be alone / a means to enhance security and have a sense of assurance / promote collective issues that aren’t state specific

why states cooperating and create institutions despite anarchy

mitigate the state of nature / mutual gain rather than losing by being alone / isolation is more dangerous

participants in global governance - what roles and interests count

states, IGOs, TNCs / middlemen, agents and principles

theories starting to be treated as

sects or schools of thought rather than tools for explanation

theories as tools

they are tools for explanation rather than identites that are adopted

how should theories be approached

approached based on explanatory usefulness

theory paradigms

broad assumptions about how world politics work / connect to theories

actual theory elements

address particular questions like why NATO persisted past the CW - realists thought that it would dissolve when the warsaw pact did / identify causes and observable consequences

mid level theory basics

explains a specific domain or phenomenon / ex. delegation and IGO autonomy

realism basics

paradigmatic martyrs / states as the central actors - no authority stands above sovereign states / states pursue security and national interests / power shapes international outcomes / being fearful about gains in power from rivals could affect the principal state - the security dilemma

realism and the cooperation puzzle

if cooperation is beneficial then why is it hard and not so robust - loss of sovereignty, freedom and maneuver - national selfishness - usually a kind of tradeoff / conflicting interests / uncertainty / dependence or vulnerability

relative gains under the cooperation puzzle and realism

concessions for benefit / whenever some state gains more in terms of security or wealth it comes at the expense of another / there is a finite amt of resources to fight over - one country’s gain is gonna come relative and at the expense of another - win lose

IGOs and states

states create IGOs and IGOs remain dependent on states / IGOs are the least effective where powerful states have conflicting interests / provides arenas for bargaining and legitimation / can facilitate state purposes / normally IGOs can’t overcome fundamental conflicts among powerful states

key tenets of liberalism

interdependence / shared interests / cooperation / institutions

interdependence as a key tenet of liberalism

all are sensitive to changes / common mechanisms are necessary to deal with international implications and risk

shared interests as a key tenet of liberalism

tangible interests in cooperation

cooperation as a key tenet of liberalism

preferences of negotiating partners can be meshed with yours to create some sort of compromise or resolution to the different interests at play / can produce absolute gains / faces obstacles

institutions as a key tenet of liberalism

rules, formal and informal bodies to put the cooperative adjustment int a framework overtime / international institutions are not above states - states can create them bc they’re useful

absolute gains

even tho no one gains in the exact same way - there is some sort of gain instead of a loss

how institutions help - none of these change states’ interests but just help them have a medium of cooperation

reduce negotiation or transaction costs / provide information and transparency / monitor compliance / facilitate repeated interaction / settle disputes / coordinate collective action

realism and scenario of arms control agreements

wants more compliance and enforcement / gains relative to themselves - which states are involved - if it affects their security chances - interests of the main actors involved

liberalism and scenario of arms control agreements

cooperation affecting military alliances / creating a safer community - change the incentives to affect the outcome - more trust - deal with cheating fears / interests being flexible and how mutual gains come thru

failures and scenario of arms control agreements

assume that both have rational interests - don’t take into account domestic affairs or ideologies

constructivism basic

not like realism or liberalism in that it didn’t take optimistic or pessimistic views - what it studied

constructivism focuses

ideas / norms / identities / legitimacy

constructivism contrast to realism and liberalism

they agree that actors have given interests / but disagree on whether institutions affect their pursuit

constructivist pivot

social interactions can shape actors’ identities and interests / the power of shared ideas, beliefs and knowledge / not just material, economic or tech power that lead to outcomes but shared identities, beliefs and knowledge

IGOs and constructivism

generally positive story of IGOs performing certain functions - not functions related to given interests / IGOs can create, interpret and diffuse norms / they help define what behaviour is legitimate or appropriate / officials can exercise authority based on expertise and legitimacy not just material power - focus ideas are central to their authority / institutions can shape how states understand their interests and identities

feminism compared to the other ideologies

the others are political and normative / they contain certain perspectives in terms of political units - realism and states - liberalism and cooperation - constructivism and ideas

feminism as a project of gender inequality

would like to change the world for that reason / not lax or unconcerned abt science - research that’s compelling / advocate with backing

formal equality does not equate to the elimination of gendered power and feminism

informal rules and expectations about who is qualified, which problems and issues matter, and the gender neutrality of global governance / IGOs can become sites for challenging gender hierarchy / non state actors and social movements matter - transnational pressur groups

what is theory supposed to do

it’s supposed to make things that aren’t so visible visible

theory of delegation and mid level theory in delegation

phenomena that formal organisations and IGOs start having some legal personality to act with delegated authority from the state to the IGOs

theory of delegation as a phenomenon

IGOs or formal organisations start to gain some autonomy or capacity to act with legal personality to make a difference

theory of delegation and states delegating authority to IGOs

more expertise / efficiency / implementation / monitoring / credibility / process needs to be understood