New Paper on Inclusion and Global Governance

I am late to post this, but I am proud to have published an article in a great special issue of the journal Global Justice: Theory Practice Rhetoric. The special issue, Democratic Inclusion Beyond Borders, was edited by Tomer Perry, and features articles by Terry MacDonald and Annette Zimmermann.

My own article is called, “Should International Organizations Include Beneficiaries in Decision-making? Arguments for Mediated Inclusion?” My short answer: Yes they should, but how to do so is somewhat complicated. The article draws from my PhD dissertation, as well as conversations I’ve had with people like Tomer, who — like me — are trying to figure out how democratic principles and practices might contribute to justice in global governance. Lots more to say on this subject in future publications!

Here is the paper’s abstract:

There are longstanding calls for international organizations (IOs) to be more inclusive of the voices and interests of people whose lives they affect. There is nevertheless widespread disagreement among practitioners and political theorists over who ought to be included in IO decision-making and by what means. This paper focuses on the inclusion of IOs’ ‘intended beneficiaries,’ both in principle and practice. It argues that IOs’ intended beneficiaries have particularly strong normative claims for inclusion because IOs can affect their vital interests and their political agency. It then examines how these claims to inclusion might be feasibly addressed. The paper proposes a model of inclusion via representation and communication, or ‘mediated inclusion.’ An examination of existing practices in global governance reveals significant opportunities for the mediated inclusion of IOs’ intended beneficiaries, as well as pervasive obstacles. The paper concludes that the inclusion of intended beneficiaries by IOs is both appropriate and feasible.