After Seattle: Public International Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (Ngos), and Democratic Legitimacy in an Era of Globalization: An Essay in Contested Legitimacy

249 Pages Posted: 14 Aug 2002 Last revised: 19 Nov 2013

See all articles by Kenneth Anderson

Kenneth Anderson

American University - Washington College of Law

Date Written: September 27, 2000

Abstract

This working monograph (about 120,000 words) analyzes the relationship between public international organizations such as the United Nations system and international non-governmental organizations under conditions of globalization.

It argues that international organizations and international NGOs are locked in an embrace of mutual legitimation, each giving the other important political legitimacy, in favor of liberal internationalism and at the expense of democratic sovereignty. The monograph argues that the legitimacy that each gives the other is based on flawed assumptions about the nature of civil society and "international civil society," on the one hand, and global governance and the possibilities of international, global democracy, on the other. It concludes by calling for a strengthening of democratic sovereignty as against liberal internationalism.

This working draft was never carried forward to completion and publication; instead, several parts were produced as separate articles. However, the author has received requests for it as a working document, so it is being posted to SSRN. (This is a marked up, working copy pdf, as the original word-processing document was corrupted.)

Keywords: International organizations, non-governmental organizations, NGOs, civil society, international civil society, legitimacy, globalization, democracy, international law, sovereignty, human rights, international elites, United Nations, World Bank, World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, anti-globalization, new social movements

Suggested Citation

Anderson, Kenneth, After Seattle: Public International Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (Ngos), and Democratic Legitimacy in an Era of Globalization: An Essay in Contested Legitimacy (September 27, 2000). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=310641 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.310641

Kenneth Anderson (Contact Author)

American University - Washington College of Law ( email )

4300 Nebraska Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
United States

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