Governing Globalization - by Anthony McGrew & David Held (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Since the UN's creation in 1945 a vast nexus of global and regional institutions has evolved, surrounded by a proliferation of non-governmental agencies and advocacy networks seeking to influence the agenda and direction of international public policy. Although world government remains a fanciful idea, there does exist an evolving global governance complex - embracing states, international institutions, transnational networks and agencies (both public and private) - which functions, with variable effect, to promote, regulate or intervene in the common affairs of humanity.





This book provides an accessible introduction to the current debate about the changing form and political significance of global governance. It brings together original contributions from many of the best-known theorists and analysts of global politics to explore the relevance of the concept of global governance to understanding how global activity is currently regulated. Furthermore, it combines an elucidation of substantive theories with a systematic analysis of the politics and limits of governance in key issue areas - from humanitarian intervention to the regulation of global finance. Thus, the volume provides a comprehensive theoretical and empirical assessment of the shift from national government to multilayered global governance.





Governing Globalization is the third book in the internationally acclaimed series on global transformations. The other two volumes are Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture and The Global Transformations Reader: An Introduction to the Globalization Debate.

From the Back Cover

Since the UN's creation in 1945 a vast nexus of global and regional institutions has evolved, surrounded by a proliferation of non-governmental agencies and advocacy networks seeking to influence the agenda and direction of international public policy. Although world government remains a fanciful idea, there does exist an evolving global governance complex - embracing states, international institutions, transnational networks and agencies (both public and private) - which functions, with variable effect, to promote, regulate or intervene in the common affairs of humanity.

This book provides an accessible introduction to the current debate about the changing form and political significance of global governance. It brings together original contributions from many of the best-known theorists and analysts of global politics to explore the relevance of the concept of global governance to understanding how global activity is currently regulated. Furthermore, it combines an elucidation of substantive theories with a systematic analysis of the politics and limits of governance in key issue areas - from humanitarian intervention to the regulation of global finance. Thus, the volume provides a comprehensive theoretical and empirical assessment of the shift from national government to multilayered global governance.

Governing Globalization is the third book in the internationally acclaimed series on global transformations. The other two volumes are Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture and The Global Transformations Reader: An Introduction to the Globalization Debate.

Review Quotes

"A very important and interesting book, this is a first-rate collection of contributions by some of the best-known analysts of global politics on the implications of 'global governance' in the new world order."
Development and Change

"Attempts to carve out a definitive understanding of global governance empirically and analytically ... This aim, and the quality of the individual chapters, make this an important text."
Political Studies Review

"David Held and Anthony McGrew have assembled a first-rate book that explores the meaning, scope and sources of global governance. Together the chapters offer an excellent guide to the debates on the extent to which globalization has been governed and on how it should be governed better."
Michael W. Doyle, Princeton University

"This volume provides the reader with an impressive range of conceptual as well as empirical perspectives on global governance. A timely and very useful contribution to an oftentimes ambiguous debate."
Wolfgang H. Reinicke, Global Public Policy Institute

"A very important and enormously interesting book, this is a first rate collection of contributions by some of the best known analysts of global politics on the implications of 'global governance' in the new world order."
Karin Kapadia, London School of Economics

About the Author

David Held is Graham Wallas Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science; Anthony McGrew is Professor of International Relations at Southampton University.