Nonstate actors represent units that are either “less”

than a state or an that are “more” than a state, and

whose interaction spans across national boundaries.

These actors include:

• Substate actors such as political movements, terrorist

groups, national liberation movements.

• International actors—International Governmental

Organizations (IGOs)

• Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

• Superstate organizations—Multinational Corporations

(MNCs)

International Organizations • An international organization is an institution

that has at least three state members and

• A plenary body that meets at least once in a decade.

• A permanent secretariat and corresponding headquarters

• The IGOs decision making bodes are composed of the representatives of the state members.

• More broadly, an IGO is an institution with a well defined mission and decision making bodies, the members of which are formal representatives of state members.

IGOs may be classified according to several criteria:

1. Scope of membership:

• Global—e.g., the United Nations

• Regional—e.g., the OAS, OAU, Arab league

2. Principal mission:

• Peacekeeping and international

security/cooperation, e.g., OSCE

• Economic cooperation, e.g. IMF World Bank

• Administration., e.g., IAEA, ICAO, Inter-American

Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Number of States and Number of IGOs in the International System, 1815-2000

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

3501

81

5

18

22

18

29

18

36

18

43

18

50

18

57

18

64

18

71

18

78

18

85

18

92

18

99

19

06

19

13

19

20

19

27

19

34

19

41

19

48

19

55

19

62

19

69

19

76

19

83

19

90

19

97

Year

Nu

mb

er

of

Un

its

States IGOs

Factors Contributing to the Growth

of IGOs

• Growth of the number of states

• Increased international interdependence

• Technology requiring coordination

(aviation and civil travel, communication,

trade)

• Normative changes

• Globalization

State Memberships in IGOs

-400

1600

3600

5600

7600

9600

11600

13600

1815

1822

1829

1836

1843

1850

1857

1864

1871

1878

1885

1892

1899

1906

1913

1920

1927

1934

1941

1948

1955

1962

1969

1976

1983

1990

1997

Year

No

. M

em

be

rsh

ips

State Memberships

The effects of IGO on IR can be divided into three

questions:

1. How have IGOs affected IR?

2. To what extent did IGOs fulfill their missions

independently from states’ wishes and states’

interests?

3. To what extend have IGOs shaped the structure of

the international system?

• Third party mediation occurred only in 36% of all

militarized interstate disputes between 1946-2001.

• The UN was able to negotiate a cease fire only in

50% of the conflicts in which it was involved.

• IGOs were instrumental in bringing about partial or

full agreement only in about 20% of the MIDs in

which they were involved.

• However, IGOs have become increasingly important

in peacekeeping operations.

Effects of IGOs

The realist perspective

IGOs reflect states’ interests and the distribution of power in the system.

They derive their effectiveness from state’s interests to cooperate for self-centered purposes.

When IGOs vision collides with states’ interests, IGOs prove helpless to impose their will on states

The liberal perspective

IGOs help states overcome many of the dilemmas of cooperation that exist in an anarchic system. Specifically,

They reduce uncertainty by shared information

They impose constraints on states’ willingness and ability to cooperate.

They generate shared norms

They help foster international regimes

Russett and Oneal. Joint membership in IGOs reduces the probability of dyadic conflict because of shared norms.

NGOs can operate within states or across states.

An NGO that we consider as a nonstate actor in world

politics has the same characteristics as an IGO:

• Members from at least three different states.

• A plenary that meets at least once every decade

• A secretariat that makes decisions on a current basis

However, the difference between an NGO and an IGO

is that at least some officers and representatives in

the NGO are not representatives of governments

Both IGOs and NGOs are non-for-profit organizations

NGOs’ AreAs of operation

• International security (PUGWASH), track II diplomacy (Search for Common Ground)

• Human rights (Amnesty International, DWB)

• Environmental affairs (Greenpeace International; NRDC)

• Democracy and Democratization (Freedom House)

Have NGOs Affected World Politics?

• Changing global agendas

• Influencing government responses

• Pressure groups on public opinion

• Strategic change or changes at the

margin?

A MNC is an economic profit-oriented organization

that has a product cycle of which at least one

element crosses international borders

The product cycle consists of the following stages

1. Research and Development (R&D)

2. Production

3. Marketing

4. Management and reinvestment

Going Multinational: Benefits

• Reducing production costs

• Minimizing shipping costs

• Minimizing overhead (taxes, etc.)

• Increased competitive advantage vis-à-

vis other companies

Effects of MNCs on

World Politics

Effects on Host Countries

• Employment

• Foreign direct investment

• Technological advancement

• Services around sites of MNCs

• Brain drain

• Exploitation of labor

• Unfair tax shelters

• Unfair competition with local producers

• The moving away factor

• Principal R&D, management, and marketing components remain in home state

Effects on Home State

• Reduced product prices

• R&D and management (high income) remain in home state and generate demand for luxury goods

• Competitive edge maintained and expanded vis-à-vis other developed and developing states

• Induce unemployment (structural)

• Cause gradual shift in R&D and management to other states