In an era of increased unilateralism and protectionism, the norms and institutions that govern international relations are being tested. This reading list explores how the existing system of international governance has developed, the current challenges it is faced with and what it might look like in the future. Articles included cover a range of topics from the international liberal order to the impact of rising powers in global political and economic governance.
Discussion questions:
g) To what extent is the future a battle between the Global West and Global East for the Global South?
h) Is a separation of global orders inevitable?
Discussion questions:
a) To what extent is the conlict over international order a battle of narratives
b) Should the priority be a rules-based or a liberal order?
Discussion questions:
a) How important are individuals in international organizations?
b) To what extent do politics play a part in the appointment of senior leadership positions in international organizations?
Discussion questions:
a) Is the ASEAN response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine collective pragmatism or apathy?
b) How important is the ASEAN voice?
Discussion questions:
a) How important is hegemony?
b) Is the global order in crisis?
Discussion questions:
a) What role does the European Union have in redefining the liberal order?
b) To what extent can the EU balance its values and its interests?
Discussion questions:
c) Are we seeing the rise of multiplexity?
d) How useful is multiplexity as an analytical tool?
Discussion questions:
a) How do Asian states contribute to the Liberal International Order?
b) What misgivings do Asian states share towards the Liberal International Order?
Discussion questions:
a) How does increasing political polarization effect the legitimacy of international organizations?
b) What strategies can international organizations use to strengthen their legitimacy?
Discussion questions:
a) Why have ad hoc coalitions become a popular governance arrangement?
b) What are the drawbacks of ad hoc coalitions?
Discussion questions:
a) Why was the World Health Organization side-lined in response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
b) To what extent is neoliberalism responsible for flaws in global health governance?
Discussion questions:
a) What influence do informal international organizations have?
b) How are they managed?
Discussion questions:
a) How important is the WTO?
b) To what extent is the liberal trading order under threat?
Discussion questions:
a) What does Scholte et al’s survey data reveal about elite attitudes towards global governance?
b) Are elites disconnected from their publics on questions of global governance?
Discussion questions:
a) Does China look to undermine or merely modify the existing liberal order?
b) Should states in the global South follow the China model of development?
Snapshot from history
A fundamental part of today’s global governance structures are the international organizations set up in the wake of the Second World War. Despite the failures of its predecessor the League of Nations, and the challenge posed by the Cold War at the time of its creation, the United Nations Organization has developed into a key platform for states to engage with each other and direct international relations. This article by Kathleen Courtney, a British suffragist, activist and former President and Chair of the United Nations Association’s executive committee, lays out the way the organization was developed as well as its importance in antagonistic circumstances.
Discussion questions:
a) What flaws in the UN system were a cause for concern among its early proponents? Are these still relevant today?
b) Can international organizations be effective guarantors of peace and stability during periods of high geopolitical antagonism?
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