Chapter 2: The Theoretical Foundation of Global Governance
International Relations is based on key concepts of
- Nature & role of individuals
- State’s sovereignty
- Interaction among states
- International system
It also addresses Global Governance
- Who govern the International System?
- How global change occur?
- Effects past and present global governance affect the future and vice versa
Middle-Level Theories: pick concepts from multiple different theories in defining international laws and governance.
1. Liberalism
Injustice, aggression, and war can be eliminated through collective/multilateral actions and institutional reform.
The core belief of liberalism are
- The human nature is good
- The serve and promote cooperation and collaboration
- social progress is possible
- human behaviors is malleable and perfectible through institution, aggression
1.1. 17th Century First Liberalism Concept
Hugo Grotis (1583-1645) asserted that All international relations are subject to
- The law of nations: war is not the right of states
- The law of nature: states are rational and law-biding
1.2. 18th Century The Enlightenment & Democratic Peace Theory
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
The Enlightenment contributed to liberalism by that individuals
- are rational human beings
- able to improve their life by creating a just society
Kant focused on the relationship between democracy and peace for the possibility of ‘perpetual peace’ among democratic nations (Democratic Peace Theory)
1.3. 19th Century Democratic Deterrent for War
The Enlightenment + Scientific Modernization and Industrial Revolution + Democracy & Free Trade
Adam Smith and Jeremy Bentham: asserted, free trade raise interdependence
- Raised the cost of war
- Reward cooperation and competitions with peace, prosperity, and justice
This is the basis for Economic Liberalism
1.4. Core of 20th Century Liberalism
The core of 20th century Liberalism was
- The Versailles Treaty: Woodrow Wilson: to prevent war:
- creating collective security
- self determination of people
- eliminating power politics
- The Covenant of the LON: asserted the importance of international organizations for collective problem solving
1.5. Why Cooperation Will Grow
Dynamic International Relations
States learn from their interactions in the international system that changes
States adhere to common
- norms
- institutions & rules
- interests
Growth With Interdependence
Liberals expect mutual interest to grow along side the growth of
- Interdependence
- Knowledge
- Communication
- The spread of democratic rules
Greater interdependence will promote cooperation, peace, welfare, and justice.
Power matter but exercised within the framework of rule and institution and make international cooperation possible.
1.6. Role of International Organizations
In support of cooperation IOs:
- Contribute to habits of cooperation
- Serve as arena for negotiation and developing coalitions
- Promote development of shared norms
In keeping peace by:
- Mitigating the dangers of War
- Operations addressing international problems
For use by states in :
- As instruments of foreign relations
- Constrain behaviors of non-compliant states
2. Neoliberal Institutionalism or Neo-Liberalism
Neoliberal Institutionalists argue that Anarchic world can have cooperation with help from International Organizations
More state-centric view of IR
- States are rational actors
- States are selfish but mutual benefit is better than self-interest
- States have Incentive to Cooperate: to maximize absolute gain
Cooperation is common through International Institutions
- Can solve problems that can’t be solved alone
Role of IOs in Neo-Liberalism
And international organization role is to
- help solve problem that one state cannot solve
- moderate state behavior
- provide guarantee framework for interaction
- a context for bargaining provide mechanism for reducing cheating by monitoring behavior
- punishing wrong states
- facilitate transparency
2.1. Neo-Liberal Perspective on Game Theory
Robert Axelrod and Robert Keohane draws on Game Theory
In Game Theory, the self serving behavior of each player leads to bad outcomes for both players
But, by allowing communication, joint-agreements will lead to mutual gain.
Concepts The Game Theory Shown
- Tit-for-tat cooperation will mutually benefit in the long term
- Game Theory applicability varies according to shared norms
- States are independent actors, but their policy choices are interdependent
2.2. Continued Relevancy of IOs in Neo-Liberalism
The Prisoner’s Dilemma
Two prisoners are interrogated separately for a crime
- If one confess and the other didn’t, the one who confess go free, the silent one takes long sentence
- If both confesses they both get reduced sentences
- If neither confess, they receive short sentences
Without communication, they will both confess, making a bad sentence
With communication, they will agree to keep quiet to get short sentences
The self-serving bias of each player will lead to bad outcome for both players.
Therefore, states communicating and cooperating, looking for mutual interests is more beneficial in the long term.
Making Cooperation Cheap
States choose continuous interactions with each other because they know they will interact with the same actors in the future.
To Facilitate cooperation cheaply, states create Institutions
- moderate states behavior
- provide framework for interactions
- mechanisms to punish cheaters/defectors
- Facilitate transparency
- Cooperation can come at the expense of other states
- Regional trade agreements
- Bilateral Trade
- Collective Security?
3. Functionalism
Functionalism assert that governance (global or governmental) arise out of need of people or states.
- International economic and social cooperation will lead to political cooperation and eliminating war
- In cooperating in non-sensitive areas
- states can use IGOs to work together
- eventually leading to more sensitive political cooperation
- Early IGOs developed for cross-border activities
- International Telegraph Union
- Universal Postal Union
- Commission for navigation on the Rhine River
- World Health Organization
- UN Children’s Fund
- Food and Agriculture Organization
- International Labor Organization
International Organizations here consist of limited amount of members, focusing on a certain area, either economic, social, or environmental problems.
Functional Relationship: technical experts loses identification with their state, to allegiance of like-minded individuals.
- Like people, states develop functional relationships from economic cooperation
Problems With Functionalism
- EU will achieve common foreign and security policy. Political decisions may be needed, but actions may not be taken
- Decolonization process was important, but no IO created for it
- International organizations modified global political system, but not transform it
- How can other causes of war, besides economic deprivation, illiteracy, hunger, disease, be alleviated?
- In reality, cooperation spillovers aren’t as easy or common as it’s proposed.
4. International Regime Theory
International Regimes = Set of rules/laws + decision making procedures
States create Regime frameworks to coordinate their actions with those of other states
- Provide info to participants: More clarity or certainty
- Coordination may lead to convergence of interest
- It believe in a system of cooperation in spite of anarchy
- Stresses importance of Non-state actors for cooperation
- International Law consist of informal norms and rules of behaviors, making them codified or institutionalized
- States’ actions are affected by norms
5. Public Good or Collective Good
Goods which can be used by everyone, not owned by anyone
- International water
War comes from the mismanagement of public goods
Free Riding: states could use public good without contributing, making supply limited
6. Realism
6.1. Core Assumptions of Realism
Human Nature: is selfish, pragmatic, self-reliance
Main Actor: only states and IGO are only tools for IGOs
Cooperation is impossible
International System is Anarchic
Peace: only happens when there’s balance of power between states
6.2. Structural Realism
The structure of world politics is what makes cooperation unlikely
Core Assumptions
- International Structure: Anarchic, no supreme authority
- Focus more on structure rather than on human nature of Classical realists
- International cooperation possible, but fragile and not long lasting
- States care about relative gain only, not mutual
In Game Theory , even with communication, one or both will try and betray the other to get relative gain
- Actors are given incentive to cheat
- Cooperation will sooner or later collapse
6.3. Rational Choice Theory
States are rational actors
- Doing cost vs benefit analysis for decision makings
If the benefit of joining and IGO is better than the cost, they’ll join the institution
6.4. Hegemonic Stability Theory
The world is only stable and peaceful when there is a world power looking over the international system.
- Creating public goods: international law, international institutions, standard of procedures
- Super power must take lead to make things possible
International cooperation is possible
Example:
- Britain era of free trade in Europe
- US Bretton Wood international trade system, dollar standard, overseas investment
6.5. Social Constructivism
The social world is created by human beings (war, peace, cooperation)
Emphasize role of idea, perception, identity
Process of How Pieces affect International System
- IGOs/International Laws can shape ideas
- in turn shaping states behaviors
- Shaping the international stage as a whole
Common Identity can be created to cooperate (UN, EU, ASEAN)
- To build relations
- Conduct diplomacy
- Strengthen unity/identity
7. Marxism
Criticizes the capitalist system, that it’ll eventually lead to a revolution
Capitalist divide people into two groups
- Bourgeoisie: rich capitalists
- Proletariats: poor workers
Bourgeoisie exploits the workers (at the individual level)
7.1. Neo-Marxism
Use Karl Marx ideas at the global level
Pieces of global governance is funded by the rich states to be created.
Global Governance
- only benefit rich states
- exploits poorer nations
Dependency Theory: Global Governance, created by rich states, to ensure poor states continue to depend on rich states
- Make sure the poor stays poor (economic independent)
- Make sure the rich stays rich
8. Organizational Interactions
Treats The world’s international organizations as active members of international system
Why IOs are effective/ineffective by two groups of theories (Organizational Theory)
8.1. Inter-organizational Process
- Networks: IOs are effective when they have connections and interactions with more actors, IOs, NGOs
- Principle-agent interactions: The relation between member states and host IO determines whether or not decisions get passed or states are cooperative. If IO has autonomy or not.
8.2. Intra-Organizational Process
- Organizational Culture: values, rules, norms that can be made to strengthen decisions and cooperation in IO
- Organizational adaptation and learning: IO’s ability to learn and change to adapt to the context of situation,
- Norms and Focus changes through time
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