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Non-State Forms of Transnational Governance - Leadership and Policy Dilemmas (STG-MA-ECM-NSG)

STG-MA-ECM-NSG

Description

This course provides an overview of forms of private (Non-State) transnational governance which exercise a regulatory power similar to that of States on certain markets and areas of social life, having a profound impact on citizens.
The power of private transnational organisations is one of the main modes of expression of transnational governance. Non-state-controlled transnational institutions regulate collective behaviour in several ways: they adopt and impose norms, devise standards, and develop networks in such a way as to effectively exercise governance powers on significant areas of economic, social and political life.  At the same time, in their regulatory activity, private transnational organisations often interact with states — sometimes from a considerably stronger position. That position allows them, in many instances, to be exempt from public oversight and regulation. Some of these private transnational forms of regulating collective behaviour are similar to forms of State regulation and governance and prevail over the latter. This raises important questions of legitimacy and accountability. Shouldn’t these forms of non-state governance be subject to standards of public scrutiny, separation of powers and democratic accountability similar to those legitimating State power? They often aren’t and if they are not what questions does that raise and how should we address them?
This seminar aims to enable students to understand the evolution of these non-state forms of governance, their specific dynamics, and to discuss the challenges that they bring to our usual standards of governance. This is crucial for complementing the picture of how transnational governance works and the challenges it raises beyond the states. Particular focus will be on two areas that highlight the challenges brought by non-state forms of transnational governance: the role of big tech and digital platforms in shaping the public sphere and the role of transnational sports governing bodies in regulating important markets and impacting on issues such as the protection of human rights. We will use case studies in these areas as a way to render more concrete the profound issues raised by transnational non-state forms of governance.