Presented by Heo, jinsook Chapter 17 Transnational actors and international organizations in global politics Presented by Heo, jinsook

Introduction The relations between governments and many other actors from each country. State-centric approach (or realism) → open-ended approach (pluralism) Global politics also includes companies ,non-governmental organizations and non-legitimate transnational actors. Governments and NGOs interact with each other, along with companies and international organizations.

Figure #17.1 Classification of global political actors The bottom three categories all form international NGOs

Problems with the state-centric approach Ambiguity between different meanings of a ‘state’ The concept of the ‘state’ has three very different meanings: a legal person, a political community, and a government. The lack of similarity between countries The countries and governments around the world may be equal in law, but have few political similarities. Many governments control less resources than many transnational actors. The problem of holism The state is seen as a holistic entity → it is considered to be a coherent unit, acting with common purpose and existing as something more than the sum of its parts. The difference between state and nation By distinguishing government from society and nation from country, we can ask whether private voluntary groups, companies, and national minorities in each country engage in transnational relations.

Transnational companies as political actors Financial flows and loss of sovereignty Control over the currency and control over foreign trade have been substantially diminished → governments have lost control of financial flows. Triangulation of trade and loss of sovereignty There is no guaranteed method of preventing indirect trade from one country to another. Regulatory arbitrage and loss of sovereignty Companies may choose to engage in regulatory arbitrage → It becomes difficult for any government to set high standards. Extraterritoriality and sovereignty This problem is coherent in the structure of all TNCs. From domestic deregulation to global re-regulation. Serious conflicts between companies and governments have moved from domestic agendas to the global political agenda. →Sovereignty now has to be exercised through collective action rather than independently.

Non-legitimate groups and liberation movements as political actors Transnational criminals and their political impact 1. Criminals financial flows can be massive and unpredictable. 2. Criminal trade has been so extensively diversified through triangulation. 3. Using the law against criminals produces a similar effect to movement by TNCs for regulatory arbitrage. 4. Extraterritoriality does occur with respect to jurisdiction over criminal behavior. Transnational guerrilla groups and gaining legitimacy Groups using violence to achieve political goals generally do not achieve legitimacy, but in exceptional circumstances they may be recognized as national liberation movements and take part in diplomacy The significance of criminals and guerrillas The transnational activities of criminals and guerrillas shift problems of the domestic policy of countries into the realm of global politics.

Non-governmental organization as political actors Consultative status at the UN for NGOs 1. a small number of high-status NGOs 2. specialist NGOs 3. a Roster of other NGOs The UN definition of an acceptable NGO 1. An NGO should support the aims and the work of the UN 2. An NGO should be a representative body, with identifiable headquarters, and officers, responsible to a democratic policy-making conference. 3. An NGO cannot be a profit-making body. 4. An NGO cannot use or advocate violence. 5. An NGO must respect the norm of ‘non-interference in the internal affairs of states’. 6. An international NGO is one that is not established by intergovernmental agreement.

Economic globalization and the expansion of NGOs The creation of a global economy leads to the globalization of unions, commercial bodies, the professions, and scientist in international NGOs, which participate in the relevant international regimes. The globalization of communications The technical revolution lies in the increased density, the increased speed, and the reduced cost of communication. The news media as agents of globalization The movement of ideas not only affects the agenda but also political outcomes. The movement of NGOs from the local to the global The improved communications make it more likely that NGOs will operate transnationally and make it very simple and cheap for them to do so.

International organizations as structures of global politics International organizations as systems International organizations are also structures for political communication. They are systems that constrain the behavior of their members. The intergovernmental versus non-governmental distinction Governments form intergovernmental organizations and transnational actors form international non-governmental organizations. Governments and transnational actors accord each other equal status by jointly creating hybrid international NGOs. Relationships between international organizations They are processes that legitimize political activity by international secretariats on behalf of their organizations.

Issues and policy systems in global politics High politics and low politics→ A single classification does not work. The type of authority, status, resources, information, and skills that are relevant to political success are issue-specific. (they vary from one issue to another) Different policy domain contain different actors, depending upon the salience of the issues being debated. Within both domestic and global politics, civil society is the source of change. Companies usually initiate economic change and NGOs usually the source of new ideas for political action.

Conclusion  The state-centric approach is not important in global politics. we can recognize governments are losing sovereignty when faced with the economic activities  of transnational companies and the violent threat form criminals and guerrillas. Non-governmental organizations engage in such a web of global relations, including participation in diplomacy, that governments have lost their political independence. Events in any area of global policy-making have to be understood in terms of complex systems, containing governments, companies, and NGOs interacting in a variety of international organizations.