Week 1: Types, Functions and Policy-making of IOs

Question 1

What defines a State?

Answer 1

A State is defined by a permanent population, a defined territory, a government with a monopoly of force, and its capacity to enter into relations with other states.

Question 2

What are Intergovernmental Organizations?

Answer 2

1. It is formed by three or more states. 2.They are established by intergovernmental treaties. 3. It has a permanent secretariat (administración de la organización)

Question 3

What is a transnational organization?

Answer 3

An organization that is not made of state actors

Question 4

What is an international institution?

Answer 4

1. It could be synonymous with an IO 2. Also its the set of rules or principles around which actors expectations converge.

Question 5

What are International relations?

Answer 5

Relations between governments throw diplomatic relations

Question 6

What are Transgovernmental Relations?

Answer 6

Informal contact between governmental bodies

Question 7

What are Transnational Relations?

Answer 7

Relations between non-state actors across borders

Question 8

What are Multinational Corporations?

Answer 8

They are companies that have operations in more than one country. Their head quarters are in the home country and they deliver services in host countries.

Question 9

What is Lock In?

Answer 9

A situation where a member state is “locked-in” to a particular international organization and its policies. This can occur when a country becomes dependent on the organization for resources, funding, or expertise. For example, a country that heavily relies on funding from the IMF may be “locked-in” to the IMF’s policies and programs.

Question 10

What do Realists say about IOs?

Answer 10

They say that they create and develop rather than solve violent conflicts

Question 11

Name two IOs that have changed over times:

Answer 11

1. The UN was established in 1945 to maintain international peace, promote human rights and international economic and social development. In the present, its role has expanded, now covering health, environment, development…
2. NATO was created in 1949 to prevent Social aggression. Now its role includes peacekeeping, military intervention, anti-piracy…

Question 12

What are the two basis of IOS? Explain both and give an example

Answer 12

They are political and apolitical. The political basis says that after WWI, mostly all the conflicts solved by IOs are political, for example, the basis of what is an IO emerged with foras like the Concert of Europe, their principles are embodied now in the League of Nations.
The apolitical basis says that IOs main goal is to fix technical issues. Example: the Telegraph Union evolved into the Telecommunication Union)

Question 13

Give 9 reasons would want to create or join an IO:

Answer 13

1. Small states want protection from large states
2. Weak states want legitimacy
3. Strong states want to control weaker states
4. States in tension want to create a bridge between collective and individual interests (for example Civil Wars)
5. States that have similar interests want to have coordinated policies
6. IOs give symbolic powers
7. To share and generate information
8. To tie-in
9. To lock-in

Question 14

What does it mean when an IO ties-in?

Answer 14

It is a situation where the participation of a country in one international organization is tied to its participation in another organization or agreement. For example, countries that sign the Paris Agreement are encouraged to participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as well

Question 15

What structure does an IO follow?

Answer 15

It has a:
1) Founding treaty where they stablish the: structure, principles, functions and commitments
2) An Assembly
3) A Council
4) A Secretariat
5) Sometimes a Parliament -> Some times, IOs do not have legal power, which makes their agreements not binding, leading to string states abusing their power and getting away with many things.

Question 16

Why are IOs important?

Answer 16

IOs shape how states respond to international problems. They also shape the distribution of power, make policies, act as forums for international cooperation and help enforce the provision of goods

Question 17

What are the main goals of IOs?

Answer 17

1) They classify the world creating categories of actors an actions (The UNHCR defines what is a refugee)
2) They create meaning (What is development and how can it be implemented) -> leads to the creation of norms
3) They act as Soft Powers articulating and diffusing new norms (What is the need for decolonisation according to the UN Charter?)

Question 18

What do Liberals think about IOs?

Answer 18

Liberals think that IOs foment cooperation.

They view IOs as bodies that could help enhance prosperity by making commerce across states easier through the creation of common procedures and standards.

Question 19

What do functionalists think about IOs?

Answer 19

They are idealists and believe in an apolitical basis. They believed that cooperation in unimportant matters is strategic. They are against state-centric discussions. They view IOs as a means to achieve international peace. Creating permanent bodies for international cooperation would enable states to advance their common interests. Apolitical institutions had a fallout after WW2.

Question 20

What do Neofunctionalists think about IOs?

Answer 20

According to neo-functionalists, the process of regional integration, particularly in the context of European integration, would create a spillover effect where cooperation in one policy area would lead to cooperation in other policy areas. This means that successful cooperation in one area would create incentives and pressures for further cooperation and integration in related or interconnected areas.

Cooperation occurs only when there is interdependence and integration. International cooperation among states can lead to political integration if pushed along by international bureaucrats. Faith was in the role of international civil servants

Question 21

What do Neoliberal institutionalists think about IOs?

Answer 21

States are the primary unit for integration and states use IOs only for their own interest. They focus on how states might cooperate for mutual advantage without there being a supranational government.

But it still highlights the importance of working together in IOs. IOs provide functional benefits to states for international cooperation (these organizations offer practical advantages and facilitate cooperation among member states). States may choose to abandon cooperation but IOs are effective to prevent states ftom leaving cooperation so everyone benefits.

All states can benefit from international cooperation through collective action.

Question 22

What do Realists think about IOs?

Answer 22

They believe that states are self-interested and they will use IOs to achieve their material and security interests.

Question 23

What do Modern Realists think about IOs?

Answer 23

IOs cannot influence international politics in a profound way

Question 24

What do Neorealists think about IOs?

Answer 24

IOs only reflect powerful states’ interests. Example: in the UN Security Council, all five permanent members were the most powerful and victorious states in 1945. Therefore, IOs can be used to achieve states interests but cooperation will only happen if states think that they will gain more than others.
The benefits that states receive from States vary because powerful states lock-in (they are locked to IOs rules and norms) to institutional rules that benefit them more than they benefit other states.
They don’t support common power.

Question 25

What is the effect of Spillover? Give an example:

Answer 25

Spillover refers to the unintended or secondary effects that result from a particular action or event.
Economic spillover occurs when an economic activity or policy in one country affects other countries or the global economy. For example, changes in trade policies or financial regulations in one country can have ripple effects on its trading partners, impacting their economies positively or negatively. Economic crises, such as the 2008 global financial crisis, demonstrated how financial instability in one country can quickly spread to other nations.