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International Bureaucrats and the Formation of Intergovernmental Organizations: Institutional Design Discretion Sweetens the Pot

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  • Johnson, Tana
  • Urpelainen, Johannes

Abstract

Bureaucrats working in international intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) regularly help states design new IGOs. Sometimes international bureaucrats possess limited discretion in institutional design; sometimes, they enjoy broad discretion. In fact, they gain discretion even when they openly oppose state preferences. This contravenes conventional thinking about delegation: discretion should decrease as preference divergence between states and international bureaucrats increases. We develop a principal-agent theory of how much discretion states grant to international bureaucrats in the design of new IGOs. This is novel: while principal-agent theories of international delegation are common, scholars have not analyzed principal-agent relationships in the creation of new IGOs. We argue that even an international bureaucracy that disagrees with states' design preferences may enjoy substantial design leeway, because of states' need for bureaucratic expertise. In developing this argument, we employ a formal principal-agent model, case studies, and an original data set.

Suggested Citation

  • Johnson, Tana & Urpelainen, Johannes, 2014. "International Bureaucrats and the Formation of Intergovernmental Organizations: Institutional Design Discretion Sweetens the Pot," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 68(1), pages 177-209, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:intorg:v:68:y:2014:i:01:p:177-209_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Bernhard Reinsberg & Oliver Westerwinter, 2023. "Institutional Overlap in Global Governance and the Design of Intergovernmental Organizations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 693-724, October.
    2. Tobias Lenz & Besir Ceka & Liesbet Hooghe & Gary Marks & Alexandr Burilkov, 2023. "Discovering cooperation: Endogenous change in international organizations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 631-666, October.
    3. Ian Hurd, 2019. "Legitimacy and contestation in global governance: Revisiting the folk theory of international institutions," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 717-729, December.
    4. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Steffen Eckhard & Hylke Dijkstra, 2017. "Contested Implementation: The Unilateral Influence of Member States on Peacebuilding Policy in Kosovo," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8, pages 102-112, August.
    5. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i:s5:p:102-112 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Bernhard Reinsberg & Oliver Westerwinter, 2021. "The global governance of international development: Documenting the rise of multi-stakeholder partnerships and identifying underlying theoretical explanations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 59-94, January.
    7. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Bernhard Reinsberg, 2017. "Trust Funds as a Lever of Influence at International Development Organizations," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8, pages 85-95, August.
    8. Christoph Knill & Louisa Bayerlein & Jan Enkler & Stephan Grohs, 2019. "Bureaucratic influence and administrative styles in international organizations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 83-106, March.
    9. Steffen Eckhard & Vytautas Jankauskas, 2020. "Explaining the political use of evaluation in international organizations," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 53(4), pages 667-695, December.
    10. Tarald Gulseth Berge & Øyvind Stiansen, 2023. "Bureaucratic capacity and preference attainment in international economic negotiations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 467-498, July.
    11. Bernhard Reinsberg, 2017. "Organizational reform and the rise of trust funds: Lessons from the World Bank," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 199-226, June.
    12. Axel Dreher & Katharina Michaelowa, 2008. "The political economy of international organizations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 3(4), pages 331-334, December.
    13. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i:s5:p:85-95 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Ryan Federo & Angel Saz-Carranza & Xavier Fernandez-í-Marin & Carlos Losada, 2023. "CEO selection in intergovernmental organizations: the clash between control and efficiency in governance," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 27(1), pages 155-180, March.
    15. Tana Johnson, 2015. "Information revelation and structural supremacy: The World Trade Organization’s incorporation of environmental policy," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 10(2), pages 207-229, June.
    16. Katharina Michaelowa & Axel Michaelowa, 2017. "The growing influence of the UNFCCC Secretariat on the clean development mechanism," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 247-269, April.

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