The Architecture of Global Governance : An Introduction to the Study of International Organizations

In our world of massive and rapid change, international organizations are at the vanguard of a worldwide movement to build a new world order based on the principles of global governance. The international system established in the wake of World War II is coming undone, argues James Muldoon, and the cornerstones of 20th century international relations--the Westphalian nation-state system, the Wilsonian principles of collective security and self-determination, and the faith in technological and scientific progress--are being undermined by the forces of globalization and fragmentation that characterize the post-Cold War world. At center stage of this dramatic transition to a new global order is a throng of international organizations which must contend with the increasing disarray of international relations and still manage the many latent and new problems on the international agenda. Muldoon skillfully guides the uninitiated through the tangled world of international organizations, pointing out along the way important events and key factors which have shaped their creation and evolution. This new and timely textbook makes the esoteric subject of international organizations accessible and very engaging for a new generation of students and scholars. Appraising the dynamics of systemic transformation and the challenges posed by expanding global interdependence, The Architecture of Global Governance puts international organizations in their proper context and restores the study of international organizations as a vibrant and critical field of contemporary international relations.