The Multiplication of Authorities in Global Governance Institutions. A Research Agenda

Abstract

Global governance has created a complex web of public, private and hybrid actors that assert power, claim legitimacy and affect public interests. This process has generated diverse forms of governance authority. The standard dichotomy of public vs. private authority sometimes struggles to capture this pluralisation. To address this conceptual gap, the “Multiplication of Authorities in Global Governance Institutions” (MAGGI) research group analyses the constitution and exercise of authority using a conceptual framework that unpacks authority in relation to power, legitimacy and public interests. This triadic governance concept opens up an intermediate third space capturing actors which assume both public and private or hybrid roles. To further elaborate this third space, MAGGI investigates the authority of non-governmental organisations and business actors, transnational city networks, interest groups, and international organisations, paying particular attention to the United Nations and the European Union as governance hubs. Linking the empirical studies, MAGGI aims to conceptualise governance authority with an encompassing, yet detailed pattern that captures the plurality of governance actors and their roles. This allows for the investigation of their empirical forms and normative underpinnings as well as the tracing of their effects on democracy in a globalised world.

Keywords: authority, global governance, international institutions, United Nations, European Union