1. PS 420/520 International Organization
Prof. Ronald B. Mitchell

2. Expected Learning Outcomes
Understand how the political structure of international problems varies across the issues of security, trade, human rights, and environment. Recognize the ways in which the power and incentives that lead states to engage in behaviors that cause collective problems make some problems harder to resolve than others.
Recognize the relationship between problem structure characteristics and the design of the international institutions that states create. Understand why certain design features will never be used to address certain types of problems. Know the difference between regulatory, procedural, programmatic, and generative regimes, when they are likely to be adopted, and the different core elements of any international institution.
Be able to assess whether an international institution has influenced state behavior and identify the key factors that make it more or less likely that an international institution will succeed in doing so.
Demonstrate critical thinking and communication skills, including the use of counterfactuals, through midterms and a final exam. Show the ability to using empirical evidence to assess theoretical claims about the design and effectiveness of international institutions.

3. Why do States Organize? See problems and want to solve them
See opportunities and want to seize them
Find themselves in anarchic context, with no government they can call on to do this for them so must create some form of governance, even if not government

4. Three major elements of International Organization
The Structure of International Problems
What types of problems do states face/how do they vary?
What makes some harder to resolve than others?
International Institutions and Other Responses
How do states organize to mitigate those problems?
How does design of institutions vary?
Effects of International Institutions:
Why do some institutions "work" while others fail?
AND how do the answers to these questions differ by issue areas?

5. How International Governance Differs from Domestic Governance
Anarchy makes governance surprising
No constraints on behavior (no government)
Atomistic actors (no altruism)
Domestic vs. international governance
Collective identity
Establishing rules
Expectation of compliance
Enforcement

6. International OrganizationS vs. International Organization
Established by national governments
Bureaucratic entities
Have physical locations, permanent staff, etc.
Thousands in the world today. Examples?
International Organization
Efforts at governance
Sometimes leads to formal international organizations
But need not – sometimes involves treaties without organizations

7. Definition of Regimes / Institutions
“Sets of implicit or explicit principles, norms, rules, and decision-making procedures around which actors' expectations converge in a given area of international relations” (Krasner, 1982, 186)
“Pattern … of activity” or “particular human-constructed arrangement, formally or informally organized” (Keohane, 1988, 382}

8. Institutions, Regimes, Organization
Will use terms interchangeably
Effects
Joiners necessarily better off than not joining
But not necessarily better off than no institution
And non-joiners may not be better off at all
Key question is what type of organization
Necessity not mother of invention in IO
Non-state actors matter more and more

9. Reading for the course How to read the readings
Readings due BEFORE class for which they are assigned
Why I chose Young
What you should get from:
Shanks et al.
Why do states join IOs
Krasner’s 2 questions
Impact of regimes on related behavior & outcomes
Relationship of basic causal variables to regimes

10. General Walk through syllabus Problem Structure Institutional Design
Institutional Effects and Effectiveness

11. Office Hours PLC-921 Tu/Th 11:30-1:00
Those who sign up at door given priority but walk-ins always welcome

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