transnational politics

Transnational Politics

Keohane/Nye, Introduction

Today

Registration, digitally aided name recognition, index card Attendance, papers, presentation, campaign item Two different views:

US-based: It’s easy! ethical trade (podcast from: Policy Innovations): forestry, mining, and fisheries.

European: It’s complex. BBC documentaries (Thursday) Defining non-state actors (NSAs) Theories of IR and transnationalism Reading: Keohane/Nye 1971

Wednesday, 1/23/2008Hans Peter Schmitz

Non-state actors (NSAs)

What is transnationalism? What are non-state actors (NSAs)?

Distinguishing from states and IGOs What are the goals non-state actors pursue? What are the means non-state actors use? What roles do non-state actors play?


Definition: Transnational relations

Transnational relations are “regular interactions across national boundaries when at least one actor is a non-state agent or does not operate on behalf of a national government or an intergovernmental organization.”

(Thomas Risse-Kappen, Introduction, in Bringing Transnational Relations Back In: Non-State Actors, Domestic Structure and International Institutions, Cambridge University Press 1995, p. 3)


Challenging state-centrism

Keohane/Nye, 1971, xii

Four major types of transnational interactions: Communication of ideas Transportation (trade in goods and services) Finance (FDI, investment) Travel and movement of people (migration)


Effects of transnationalism

Increase the sensitivity of societies to one another (1) and diffusion processes (2) resulting in (Keohane/Nye, xvi):

attitude changes international pluralism (interest groups) constraints on state actors increase (interdependence) increasing ability of certain governments to influence

other governments emergence of autonomous actors with private foreign

policies


Non-state actors in world affairs

Three types of transnational non-state actors: Multinational Corporations Non-Governmental Organizations (Global Civil Society) Drug cartels, terrorists, arms traders, money launderer, human

trafficker, etc.

How are non-state actors different from states or intergovernmental organizations? In contrast to states, NGOs lack sovereign control over population

and territory. In contrast to IGOs, NGOs are not created by states. They are

created by private citizens.


Classifying non-state actors

Transnational vs. local/national Human Rights First vs. NAACP

Profit-making vs. not-for-profit Exxon/GM vs. Greenpeace

Integrating vs. fragmenting purpose Aga Khan Foundation vs. al-Qaeda

Membership vs. non-membership organization Amnesty International vs. Human Rights Watch

Service versus advocacy organization World Vision vs. Amnesty International

Faith-based vs. secular


Three types of authority

Multinational corporations (for profit, commerce, market authority)

Non-governmental organizations (not-for-profit, service and advocacy, moral authority), global civil society

Drug cartels, terrorists, arms traders, traffickers (illicit, violent authority)


Market authority

Def.: MNCs are enterprises with commercial operations in more than one country.

100 largest economies: 51 are MNCs and 49 are states.

In 1996, 405 out of 500 largest MNCs were headquartered in the Northern hemisphere: US (162), Japan (126), France (42), Germany (41), and Great Britain (34).

1969: about 7,000 MNCs; 2005: 63,312 MNCs with 821,818 foreign affiliates. >> ILO information on MNCs


Illicit authority

Criminal networks: borders as a business opportunity; trafficking of weapons, humans, and drugs.

Piracy: the high seas as a stateless sphere; Somalia, South East Asia, etc.

Terrorism: the political use of violence and transnational relations


Why is transnational crime on the rise?

State failure: Proliferation of small arms; failing border controls, etc.

Globalization: increasing and faster financial and other transactions, etc.

Global inequalities: human trafficking, drug trade, etc.

Lack of inter-state cooperation: weak United Nations, lack of coordination among law enforcement, competing state interests,


Moral authority Global civil society

Amnesty International, Oxfam, and Greenpeace Campaigns against child labor, landmines, for the ICC

Transnational networks Alternative to state and markets: Networks are non-

hierarchical, horizontal exchanges based on shared goals/values.

NGOs, foundations, churches, media, unions, etc. Increased and cheaper travel/communication.


Global NGO Growth, based on: Yearbook of International Organizations, Vol. 1, 1997/98

8323,318

6,2229,521

17,03020,634

23,635

36,05440,306

050001000015000200002500030000350004000045000

1951 1968 1976 1978 1983 1985 1991 1995 1997

NGOs

Wednesday, 1/23/2008

Hans Peter Schmitz

NGOs at the United Nations

1948: 40 NGOs with initial observer status at the UN

2003: 2,379 NGOs at the UN with consultative status.

Graph of NGO growth at the UN (P. Willetts)


Service and advocacy

Service NGO: Provides direct services to a population (example: education, health) World Vision, Save the Children, Oxfam.

Advocacy NGO: Lobbies for the rights and claims of others by publishing reports, lobbying, mobilizing the media and public. Amnesty International, Greenpeace.


transnational politics

Documents

nonstate actors different

goals nonstate actors

nonstate agent

means nonstate actors

arms traders

human rights watchservice

international institutions

localnationalhuman rights