Public Opinion on Institutional Designs for the United Nations: An International Survey Experiment

Abstract

Scholars and policy makers have intensely debated institutional reforms of the United Nations (UN) since its creation. Yet, relatively little attention has been given to institutional design preferences among the public in UN member states. This study examines two questions: Which possible rules concerning UN authority and representation do citizens prefer? Which personal and country characteristics are associated with their varying institutional preferences? A population-based conjoint survey experiment conducted in Argentina, China, India, Russia, Spain, and the United States is used to identify public preferences on nine distinct institutional design dimensions figuring prominently in UN reform debates. We find widespread support for increasing or at least maintaining UN authority over member states and for handing control over its decision-making to UN organs that would represent the citizens of every member state more directly. Citizens’ institutional preferences are associated with their political values and vary depending on whether their home countries would gain or lose influence from a specific reform.

Public sphere and global governance

“…Moreover, the experiment shows that this support increases when institutionalized inequality is reduced and broader participation is enabled. In an impressive paper, Farsan Ghassim (2020) extends these findings based on a variety of survey data and survey experiments in five countries: Brazil, Germany, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. It turns out that the majority in all of these countries want strong international institutions, provided that these are also democratically legitimate.…”

“…Survey experiments yield even clearer results. Farsan Ghassim, Mathias Koenig-Archibugi and Luis Cabrera (2020) use a survey of six critical countries (Argentina, China, India, Russia, Spain and the United States) to show that there is a high level of support for maintaining and expanding the authority of the UN. Moreover, the experiment shows that this support increases when institutionalized inequality is reduced and broader participation is enabled.…”

Do international parliaments matter? An empirical analysis of influences on foreign policy and civil rights

“…The second implication worth highlighting relates to policy. From the moment of the creation of the United Nations in 1945, politicians, activists and scholars have called for a parliamentary body to be added to its structure -a United Nations parliamentary assembly (UNPA) (Archibugi, 2008;Cabrera, 2018;European Parliament, 2018;Global Greens, 2008;Leinen and Bummel, 2018;Mendlovitz andWalker, 2003 see also De Wilde et al, 2016;Dingwerth, 2014;Ghassim et al, 2022). Sceptical assessments of this proposal suggest that it may face a dilemma: an UNPA with weak powers may be feasible, but it would fail to have real impact; conversely, an UNPA with strong powers might make a difference if it existed, but it is for all practical purposes unachievable given the current realities of world politics (Miller, 2010;Nye, 2002).…”

Öffentlichkeit und Global Governance

“…In China (51,9 Prozent) und Indien (47,2) liegen die Werte jedoch im Vergleich zum World Value Survey -wenn auch nur geringfügig -unterhalb der Werte Europas (PEW 2007). 44 Ghassim et al 2020. 45 Ghassim 2020.…”