State and regional actors in complex governance systems: Exploring dynamics of international negotiations

Abstract

Over the last decades, the number of international organizations (IOs) and regional groups (RGs) increased tremendously, and states are now simultaneously members of several RGs and IOs. This article inquiries how states act in settings of complexly nested and overlapping institutions on the regional and international levels. How frequently do states voice regional positions in international negotiations and why are some more active in this respect than others? Why are some RGs more vocal than others? Multiple state memberships in RGs foster the regionalization of international negotiation dynamics via burden-sharing mechanisms. In addition, state capacity and power, the age and policy scope of RGs and the institutional design of IOs also shape negotiation dynamics. This article concludes with reflections on implications of regionalized international negotiations for the efficiency and legitimacy of governance beyond the nation-state.

Mediating power? Delegation, pooling and leadership selection at international organisations

“…When authors try to measure power as material resources, several approaches have been proposed. They range from gross domestic product (GDP; Panke et al, 2017) to elaborate composite indicators of national capabilities (Clyne, 1977; Singer, 1987). The advantage of GDP is its versatility that allows for transformation into many other sources of power.…”

Overlapping regionalism in Europe: Patterns and effects

“…In instances when regional rules and norms from at least two ROs may be conflict, the states which are members of both ROs cannot comply with both organizations’ norms and rules at the same time. This can lead to strategic forum-shopping (Alter and Meunier, 2009; Murphy and Kellow, 2013; Panke et al, 2017). States only comply with the regional rules and norms that are most compatible with their strategic cost-benefit calculations and violate the rules and norms of the other RO.…”

“…While international relations (IR) research has long been mainly focusing on how states cooperate in international organizations (IOs) under conditions of anarchy, the focus has broadened in the last decades. Cooperation is no longer exclusively taking place in IOs and international regimes but in regional organizations (ROs) as well ( inter alia Acharya, 2012; Breslin et al, 2013; Krickovic, 2015; Paul, 2012; Söderbaum, 2016; Panke et al, 2017). ROs are forms of institutionalized cooperation between at least three states on the basis of geographical proximity.…”