Thursday, March 9, 12noon-1:30pm, Mershon Center for International Security Studies, 1501 Neil Ave., Rm. 120

In domestic politics, pressure groups are viewed warily. The founders of the United States, for instance, warned about the “mischiefs of faction” and strived to create a political system that would moderate their influence. But international politics is very different. There, the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) regularly solicit participation from pressure groups, often in the hopes of connecting with the grassroots, obtaining diverse input, and boosting IGO legitimacy. In this regard, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are particularly important pressure groups. After all, regardless of whether a particular NGO is known more for service delivery or advocacy of particular policy positions, its actions and aspirations tend to stem from a seed of dissatisfaction that produces policy-related appeals and pressures governmental entities.

Tana Johnson’s research interests include global governance, international organizations, energy/environmental policy, interactions between the private and public sectors, and U.S. foreign policy. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in International Organization, Journal of Politics, Review of International Organizations, and Oxford Handbook of the American Presidency_

Johnson’s book Organizational Progeny: Why Governments are Losing Control over the Proliferating Structures of Global Governance (2014, Oxford University Press) shows that in a variety of policy areas, global governance structures are getting harder for national governments to control — not only because the quantity and staffing of international organizations has mushroomed, but also because the people working in these organizations try to insulate any new organizations against governments’ interference.

Register here for this event.