Policies and Processes of Transnational Governance (STG-MA-A03-23)

STG-MA-A03-23

Description

The seminar begins by asking the question, what is the difference between global governance and transnational governance? It will then proceed to identify, exemplify and analyse different mechanisms – the ‘nuts and bolts’ – of contemporary transnational governance. That is, the seminar is organised around four modes of policy activity:

- Horizontal policy coordination: inter-state collaboration of government officials (networks of legislators, judges and regulators who have cross-national counterparts). For example, the growth of city and local government cross-national collaboration and the international roles of mayors and local government officials. Transgovernmentalism 1.;

- Vertical policy coordination: Interactions of public sector officials and international civil servants for multi-level policy coordination. For example, international and regional organisations such as the European Union, ASEAN, the World Bank, etc collaborating with national government agencies both in-country and cross-nationally. Transgovernmentalism 2;

- Diagonal policy networks and partnerships: Alliances across the public-private divide. Official actors in governments and intergovernmental organizations build formal and informal partnerships with private actors such as via ‘Track 2’ diplomacy or via ‘multi-stakeholder policy partnerships’.

- Independent policy initiatives from civil society or the corporate world and business: For example, the policy advocacy work of Nobel peace prize winners like the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) or Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as well as the role of private regimes establishing soft law and regulatory standards.

The study unit focuses on these types of governance to raise questions about their effectiveness, efficiency and capacity to generate cooperation. Across all these dimensions we see the emergence of different kinds of transnational administrators, international civil servants, and global decision makers. The seminar investigates these modalities drawing upon the fields of development studies, economics, international relations (IR), political science, political geography and public policy.