Who performs better? A comparative analysis of problem-solving effectiveness and legitimacy attributions to international organizations

Abstract

The performance of individual international organizations (IOs) has received considerable scholarly attention, not in the least because their importance for global governance. This paper adds to this body of work by adopting genuine comparative lenses. Based on a novel survey, it assesses the attributed performance of 49 IOs over two important dimensions: problem-solving effectiveness and legitimacy of outputs. This reveals variation between IOs with respect to both components. We derive hypotheses from international cooperation and IO design. The quantitative analysis reveals that except deliberative diplomatic practices many factors increasing attributed legitimacy differ from the ones increasing the attributed problem-solving effectiveness. Most notably, autonomous secretariats increase the problem-solving effectiveness attributed to IOs. Legitimacy attributions increase when IOs are regional instead of global in nature and when non-state actors have access to IO decision-making.

Overlapping regionalism around the world: Introducing the overlapping regionalism dataset

“…Studying overlaps is crucial as it has important implications for the effectiveness of governance beyond the nation-state, the legitimacy of IOs in situations of regime complexity, and the future of the liberal order and contestations thereof. First, the performance of IOs has gained scholarly attention in recent years (Gutner and Thompson, 2010; Lall, 2017; Panke et al, 2022a,b). Researching overlapping regionalism and its potential negative consequences for their effectiveness also allows for valuable insights into the causes and consequences of regime complexity on the international level.…”

Building Legitimacy in the Global Political Economic Order: China’s Efforts and Its Legitimacy Challenges

“…Second, legitimacy is based on utilitarian, rational calculations, and the pursuit of superior performance. For example, Panke, Polat, and Hohlstein find that the effectiveness and normativity of international organisations in solving problems is crucial in shaping the legitimacy of these orders [5]. Verhaegen, Scholte, and Tallberg found the importance of utilitarian calculations, social identity, and domestic preferences in constructing the concept of legitimacy by examining the relationship between domestic elites and international organisations [6].…”