Transnational Actors in Global Governance: Patterns, Explanations and Implications (Democracy Beyond the Nation State? Transnational Actors and Global Governance)

The nature of global governance is changing, as are the standards by which we judge its legitimacy. We are witnessing a gradual and partial shift from inter-state co-operation to more complex forms of governance, involving participation by transnational actors, such as NGOs, party associations, philanthropic foundations and corporations. The nature of global governance is changing, as are the standards by which we judge its legitimacy. Whereas international institutions were long the exclusive preserve of national governments, the past decades have witnessed a gradual and partial shift from interstate cooperation to more complex forms of governance, involving participation by transnational actors, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), advocacy networks, party associations, philanthropic foundations, and multinational corporations. Increasingly, states and international institutions are engaging transnational actors as policy experts, service providers, compliance watchdogs, and stakeholder representatives. This volume analyzes the reasons behind, and consequences of, the growing involvement of transnational actors in established international institutions. It provides comparative analyses of varying transnational access and participation in different international organizations and issue-areas. Combining normative democratic theory and empirical research, it offers innovative interpretations of the democratic legitimacy of current arrangements