Options
The Politics of Informal Governance
Type
fundamental research project
Start Date
December 1, 2014
End Date
November 30, 2016
Status
completed
Keywords
Informal governance
institutional design
transnational public-private governance
power
Description
What are the factors that lead states and transnational actors to choose between formal intergovernmental organisations, informal intergovernmental organisations and transnational governance networks to structure their interactions and govern global problems?
States have recently started to use informal institutions instead of formal organisations to govern global policy issues. Extant research on the forms of institutionalisation in global governance focuses on formal modes of cooperation, such as intergovernmental organisations and treaties. Formal rules, however, do not exhaust the institutional variety of international and transnational cooperation.
Recent work in political science, economics, and international law has started to examine informal governance, which refers to unwritten - and often vaguely specified - rules and norms that modify or substitute legally binding provisions.
This project examines the factors that lead states and transnational actors to choose between formal intergovernmental organisations, informal intergovernmental organisations and transnational governance networks to structure their interactions and govern global problems. It also investigates the interactions between formal and informal institutions.
The project highlights the political dimensions of informal governance and argues that distributional conflict and power asymmetries are critical for the selection and design of informal institutions. States and transnational actors use informal institutions as a means to project power and influence outcomes according to their interests.
This project will fill an important gap in research on international cooperation and global governance by taking systematic account of the wider spectrum of institutional variation. Furthermore, the accurate knowledge about the factors that shape the emergence and functioning of informal forms of governing will help policy-makers to effectively provide public goods and enhance the legitimacy, equity, and efficiency of global governance institutions.
States have recently started to use informal institutions instead of formal organisations to govern global policy issues. Extant research on the forms of institutionalisation in global governance focuses on formal modes of cooperation, such as intergovernmental organisations and treaties. Formal rules, however, do not exhaust the institutional variety of international and transnational cooperation.
Recent work in political science, economics, and international law has started to examine informal governance, which refers to unwritten - and often vaguely specified - rules and norms that modify or substitute legally binding provisions.
This project examines the factors that lead states and transnational actors to choose between formal intergovernmental organisations, informal intergovernmental organisations and transnational governance networks to structure their interactions and govern global problems. It also investigates the interactions between formal and informal institutions.
The project highlights the political dimensions of informal governance and argues that distributional conflict and power asymmetries are critical for the selection and design of informal institutions. States and transnational actors use informal institutions as a means to project power and influence outcomes according to their interests.
This project will fill an important gap in research on international cooperation and global governance by taking systematic account of the wider spectrum of institutional variation. Furthermore, the accurate knowledge about the factors that shape the emergence and functioning of informal forms of governing will help policy-makers to effectively provide public goods and enhance the legitimacy, equity, and efficiency of global governance institutions.
Leader contributor(s)
Westerwinter, Oliver
Partner(s)
-Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Programme for the Study of International Governance, Geneva
-University of Zurich, Department of Political Science/Center for Comparative and International Studies
-American University, School of International Service (USA)
-Arizona State University, College of Law (USA)
-University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy Studies (USA)
-University of Oxford, Department of Politics and International Relations / Blavatnik School of Government (UK)
-University of Michigan, Department of Political Science (USA)
-Villanova University, Department of Economics (USA)
-Forest Stewardship Council International, Bonn (Germany)
-Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, International Humanitarian Law Section
-Government of Canada, Human Rights and Governance Division, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
-One Earth Future Foundation (USA)
-International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers Association, Geneva
-United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Bonn (Germany)
-United Nations Global Compact, New York (USA)
Funder
Topic(s)
Informal governance
institutional design
transnational public-private governance
power
Method(s)
Statistics
case studies
Range
HSG Internal
Range (De)
HSG Intern
Principal
Swiss Network for International Studies
Eprints ID
235290