Balancing design objectives: Analyzing new data on voting rules in intergovernmental organizations

Blake, Daniel J.; Payton, Autumn Lockwood

doi:10.1007/s11558-014-9201-9

Cited by 61 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 43 publications

(46 reference statements)

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“…IO policy-makers confront cognitive limitations in terms of bounded rationality (Jupille et al 2013;Poulsen 2014) and institutional friction in the shape of demanding thresholds for policy adoption (Scharpf 1988;Blake and Payton 2015). As a result, IOs typically experience attention scarcity as the number of issues deserving political attention exceeds the capacity of policy-makers to develop new policy.…”

Section: Applicability To International Policy-makingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stability and change in international policy-making: A punctuated equilibrium approach

2017

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International organizations (IOs) have developed into important policy venues beyond the state. Yet our understanding of the broader dynamics of IO policy-making is limited. This article offers the first comparative analysis of macro patterns in IO policy-making. Theoretically, we draw on punctuated equilibrium theory to develop hypotheses about stability and change in the orientation of IO policy agendas. Empirically, we examine novel data on the policy output of five generalpurpose IOs between 1980 and 2015, combining statistical analysis and comparative case illustrations. The analysis yields two central results. First, the policy agendas of all five IOs display patterns of punctuated equilibria, with longer periods of stability interrupted by shorter periods of dramatic change. Second, the level of institutional friction in decision-making contributes to variation in punctuations across IOs and within IOs over time. The results suggest four broader implications: (1) punctuated equilibrium theory applies to a broader empirical domain than previously thought; (2) patterns of change in IOs are more complex than conventionally expected; (3) institutional friction matters for IOs' responsiveness to societal demands and problem pressures; and (4) deeper integration of punctuated equilibrium theory into the study of IOs can pave the way for a promising IR research agenda.Rev Int Organ

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Section: Applicability To International Policy-makingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To begin with, IOs vary in their institutional rules on decision-making (Blake and Payton 2015). Decision rules can contribute to friction, affecting the ability to arrive at policy decisions (Scharpf 1988;Tsebelis and Yataganas 2002).…”

Section: Theoretical Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stability and change in international policy-making: A punctuated equilibrium approach

2017

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“…Although the World Heritage Convention clearly states that decisions must be taken by the majority of two-thirds of its members present and voting (Art. 13.8), like in many other intergovernmental organizations, deliberations are mainly characterized by multilateral negotiations and consensus building, following both informal meetings and formal discussions at plenary sessions (Blake and Payton 2014). Decisions are prepared and pre-structured, for instance by means of drafts produced by the World Heritage Center, which acts as the Secretariat of the World Heritage Convention.…”

Section: Trends In Unesco World Heritage Decision Makingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The politicization of UNESCO World Heritage decision making

et al. 2016

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The purpose of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention is to protect the global merit good of cultural and natural heritage of outstanding universal value for humanity. Many observers, however, have suggested that this international organization is subject to politicization as the selection process of sites on the World Heritage List is increasingly driven by countries' political influence and national strategic interests. This article explores this possibility quantitatively by analyzing a unique dataset containing information from the summary records of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's sessions over the 2003-2012 period. Focusing on the difference between technical experts' recommendations and Committee final decisions on new additions to the List, our empirical analysis addresses four main theoretical questions: (i) Does the World Heritage Committee follow the advisory bodies' recommendations for the evaluation of heritage sites? ii) Does Committee membership or size of national delegations influence the addition of sites to the List or an upgrade of the initial technical evaluations? iii) Is the Committee's decision regarding the selection of World Heritage sites driven by a country's political and economic power? iv) Do close political and economic relationships between countries influence Committee members' behavior? The paper contributes to Public Choice literature on international organizations by providing new evidence on the role of political and economic interests in decision making concerning global merit goods.

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“…The main characteristic for control in decision-making is the type of decision rules applied during the process, since it will determine how much influence the individual member states have over the IGO decisionmaking. Also in voting through consensus (or unanimity), a single vote of a member against any proposal can jeopardize strategy making and affect IGO responsiveness (Blake and Payton, 2015). An example of these rules is the allocation of number votes to each member (Reinalda and Verbeek, 2004).…”

Section: Decision-makingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Devising Strategic Plans to improve Organizational Performance of Intergovernmental Organizations

Federo

Saz-Carranza

2016

Global Policy

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This article discusses how intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) can use different strategic planning approaches in devising strategic plans to improve organizational performance. Six strategic planning approaches from the business sector are highlighted in this study. Each of the strategic planning approaches specifically addresses a core aspect of the strategic planning process. Thus, this article posits that an IGO must choose the most appropriate strategic planning approach depending on its specific organizational design features: membership, control, scope, centralization, flexibility, and independence. We argue that an IGO's design features affect its decision‐making, organizational performance orientation, and legitimacy, and these, in turn should determine whether it opts for member‐driven, results‐driven, or environment‐driven strategies. This article also explores how IGOs can complementary combine distinct approaches to maximize the benefits from strategic planning by determining how one approach compensates the limitation of another in devising strategic plans. This article ultimately produces a framework to provide propositions for researchers, and a tool for IGO leaders to identify the optimum strategic planning approach to help improve organizational performance.

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Balancing design objectives: Analyzing new data on voting rules in intergovernmental organizations

Cited by 61 publications

References 43 publications

Stability and change in international policy-making: A punctuated equilibrium approach

Stability and change in international policy-making: A punctuated equilibrium approach

The politicization of UNESCO World Heritage decision making

Devising Strategic Plans to improve Organizational Performance of Intergovernmental Organizations

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