GV945-7-AU-CO:
International Institutions and Global Governance

The details
2025/26
Government
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 02 October 2025
Friday 12 December 2025
15
23 April 2024

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

(none)

Module description

This graduate module examines the institutions that govern international relations. The module is designed around the following question: Do international institutions promote international cooperation? In particular, the course analyses how formal and informal international institutions can help to overcome the main challenges for international cooperation and promote global governance.


To answer this question, the module relies on three pillars: First, it introduces a set of theories to help understanding cooperation among states. Second, it applies these theories to the analysis of the design and performance of international institutions. Finally, the last weeks focus on the effects of international institutions both on the behaviour of states.


By the end of the module, the students should be able to: (i) understand and identify the central problems for governance in an anarchic world; (ii) identify and explain key concepts for the analysis of international institutions; (iii) use theories to analyse the role of international institutions in world politics; (iv) demonstrate analytical and critical thinking skills when analysing political phenomena.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To teach students to think and write critically about international institutions using theories and methods of political science.

  • To develop the ability to think and make reasoned arguments using positive theories and supported by the best available empirical evidence.

  • To work on skills that support the production of their own research.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Identify the main approaches, concepts, and methods employed in the study of international institutions.

  2. Use theories to explain the nature, characteristics, and effects of international institutions.

  3. Demonstrate analytical and critical thinking skills when analysing political phenomena.

  4. Contribute to the production of knowledge through constructive criticism of the literature and the work of peers.

  5. Advance and justify research questions framed in the literature, and propose adequate research designs to address them.

  6. Communicate ideas in different formats (written essays, poster elaboration and presentation).

Module information

Topics:



  • Global governance and institutional complexity.

  • Skills development: How to read a political science academic paper.

  • Theories: The puzzle of cooperation in an anarchic world.

  • Why do countries use (formal or informal) institutions?

  • Skills development: How to choose and justify a research question.

  • Participation in international institutions: Membership.

  • Selection and compliance. Enforcement and sanctions.

  • Skills development: Formulating testable hypotheses.

  • Decision-making and performance of international institutions.

  • Effects of international institutions on states: Socialization and diffusion.

  • Skills development: How to deal with/incorporate feedback.

  • Effects of international institutions on states: conditionality and rewards.

  • Skills development: How to make a poster.

  • Special Types of IOs - Alliances.

  • Institutional change and death of international institutions.

  • Skills development: Poster presentation.

Learning and teaching methods

The module will be delivered via:

  • One interactive seminar per week.

This is a 10-week module. 

This is a research-led taught module, but PGT students may have heterogenous abilities and previous experience, half of the sessions will devote some time to the development of useful skills to succeed in the module assignments – which are transferable to other modules and the dissertation. Students are encouraged (and expected) to submit questions electronically and to attend to academic support hours.

Bibliography*

  • Martin, L.L. and Simmons, B.A. (2013) ‘International Organizations and Institutions’, in Handbook of international relations. 2nd ed. London: SAGE, pp. 326–351. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446247587.n13.
  • Roger, Charles B. and Rowan, S.S. (2022) ‘Analyzing international organizations: How the concepts we use affect the answers we get’, The Review of International Organizations, 17(3), pp. 597–625. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11558-021-09432-2.
  • Alter, Karen J. (2022) ‘The promise and perils of theorizing international regime complexity in an evolving world’, The Review of International Organizations, 17(2), pp. 375–396. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11558-021-09448-8.
  • Eilstrup-Sangiovanni, M. and Westerwinter, O. (2021) ‘The global governance complexity cube: Varieties of institutional complexity in global governance’, The Review of International Organizations, 17, pp. 233–262. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11558-021-09449-7.
  • Roger, C. and Rowan, S. (2022) ‘The New Terrain of Global Governance: Mapping Membership in Informal International Organizations.”’, Journal of Conflict Resolution, 67(6). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/00220027221139431.
  • John J. Mearsheimer (2011) ‘The False Promise of International Institutions’, International Security, 19(3), pp. 5–49. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2539078.
  • Robert O. Keohane (2011) ‘The Promise of Institutionalist Theory’, International Security, 20(1), pp. 39–51. Available at: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/447387/summary.
  • Stein, A.A. (1982) ‘Coordination and collaboration: regimes in an anarchic world’, International Organization, 36(02). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818300018968.
  • Martin, L. (no date) ‘Interests, Power, and Multilateralism’, International Organization, 46(4), pp. 765–792. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2706874.
  • Lipson, C. (1991) ‘Why are some international agreements informal?’, International Organization, 45(4), pp. 495–538. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818300033191.
  • Schneider, C.J. (2011) ‘Weak States and Institutionalized Bargaining Power in International Organizations1’, International Studies Quarterly, 55(2), pp. 331–355. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2478.2011.00651.x.
  • Johnson, T. and Urpelainen, J. (2014) ‘International Bureaucrats and the Formation of Intergovernmental Organizations: Institutional Design Discretion Sweetens the Pot’, International Organization, 68(01), pp. 177–209. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818313000349.
  • Abbott, K.W. and Snidal, D. (1998) ‘Why States Act through Formal International Organizations’, Journal of Conflict Resolution, 42(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002798042001001.
  • Putnam, R.D. (1988) ‘Diplomacy and domestic politics: the logic of two-level games’, International Organization, 42(03). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818300027697.
  • Mansfield, E.D., Milner, H.V. and Rosendorff, B.P. (2002) ‘Why Democracies Cooperate More: Electoral Control and International Trade Agreements’, International Organization, 56(3), pp. 477–513. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1162/002081802760199863.
  • Davis, C.L. and Pratt, T. (2021) ‘The forces of attraction: How security interests shape membership in economic institutions’, The Review of International Organizations, 16(4), pp. 903–929. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11558-020-09395-w.
  • Garriga, A.C. (2009) ‘Regime Type and Bilateral Treaty Formalization: Do Too Many Cooks Spoil the Soup?’, Journal of Conflict Resolution, 53(5). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002709341403.
  • Jana Von Stein (no date) ‘Do Treaties Constrain or Screen? Selection Bias and Treaty Compliance’, The American Political Science Review [Preprint]. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/30038968?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents.
  • Marinov, N. (2005) ‘Do Economic Sanctions Destabilize Country Leaders?’, American Journal of Political Science, 49(3), pp. 564–576. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5907.2005.00142.x.
  • McGillivray, F. and Smith, A. (2000) ‘Trust and Cooperation Through Agent-specific Punishments’, International Organization, 54(4), pp. 809–824. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1162/002081800551370.
  • Bearce, D.H. and Bondanella, S. (2007) ‘Intergovernmental Organizations, Socialization, and Member-State Interest Convergence’, International Organization, 61(04). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818307070245.
  • Pevehouse, J.C. (2002) ‘Democracy from the Outside-In? International Organizations and Democratization’, International Organization, 56(3), pp. 515–549. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1162/002081802760199872.
  • Bush, S.S. (2011) ‘International Politics and the Spread of Quotas for Women in Legislatures’, International Organization, 65(01), pp. 103–137. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818310000287.
  • Finnemore, M. (2009) ‘International organizations as teachers of norms: the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cutural Organization and science policy’, International Organization, 47(4). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818300028101.
  • Paul Poast and Johannes Urpelainen (no date) ‘HOW INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT DEMOCRATIZATION: Preventing Authoritarian Reversals or Promoting Consolidation?’ Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0043887114000343.
  • Kern, A., Reinsberg, B. and Rau-Göhring, M. (2019) ‘IMF conditionality and central bank independence’, European Journal of Political Economy, 59, pp. 212–229. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2019.03.002.
  • Rickard, Stephanie J. (2019) ‘International demands for austerity: Examining the impact of the IMF on the public sector’, The Review of International Organizations, 14(1), pp. 35–57. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11558-017-9295-y.
  • Goes, I. (2023) ‘Examining the effect of IMF conditionality on natural resource policy’, Economics & Politics, 35(1), pp. 227–285. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/ecpo.12214.
  • Katharina, Meissner and Lachlan, McKenzie (2019) ‘The paradox of human rights conditionality in EU trade policy: when strategic interests drive policy outcomes’, Journal of European Public Policy, 26(9), pp. 1273–1291. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2018.1526203.
  • Cormier, Ben and Mark S. Manger (2022) ‘Power, ideas, and World Bank conditionality’, The Review of International Organizations, 17, pp. 397–425. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11558-021-09427-z.
  • Lebovic, J.M. and Voeten, E. (no date) ‘The Politics of Shame: The Condemnation of Country  Human Rights Practices in the UNCHR’, International Studies Quarterly, 50(4), pp. 861–888. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4092783.
  • Gray, J. (2009) ‘International Organization as a Seal of Approval: European Union Accession and Investor Risk’, American Journal of Political Science, 53(4), pp. 931–949. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5907.2009.00409.x.
  • Garriga, A.C. (2016) ‘Human Rights Regimes, Reputation, and Foreign Direct Investment’, International Studies Quarterly, 60(1), pp. 160–172. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqw006.
  • Nielsen, R.A. and Simmons, B.A. (no date) ‘Rewards for Ratification: Payoffs for Participating in the International Human Rights Regime’. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/isqu.12142.
  • Gray, J. (2018) ‘Life, Death, or Zombie? The Vitality of International Organizations’, International Studies Quarterly, 62(1), pp. 1–13. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqx086.
  • Walter, S. (2021) ‘Brexit Domino? The Political Contagion Effects of Voter-endorsed Withdrawals from International Institutions’, Comparative Political Studies, 54(13), pp. 2382–2415. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414021997169.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Moodle Quiz    20% 
Coursework   Research Question    15% 
Coursework   Literature review and hypothesis    30% 
Coursework   Poster    35% 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Zorzeta Bakaki, email: zbakak@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Zorzeta Bakaki
Please contact govpgquery@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
Yes
Yes
Yes

External examiner

Dr Adrian Florea
University of Glasgow
Senior Lecturer in International Relations
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 2 hours, 2 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information
Government

* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.

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