Searching for a Better World Order: Deliberative Democratic Theory and Global Governance

Stock, Andrew E.

Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

Searching for a Better World Order: Deliberative Democratic Theory and Global Governance Public Deposited

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Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/4x51hj244

Abstract

In response to transnational crises of terrorism, poverty, environment and war, scholars have become increasingly interested in how democratic global governance might be brought to bear on the anarchical international system. Surprisingly, however, the literature on global governance has largely ignored the recent “deliberative turn” in democratic political theory. Nevertheless, there have been a few systematic attempts at bringing together these two literatures. Unfortunately, these attempts have given contradictory advice, advocating different political spaces from which to anchor deliberative and democratic global governance. This dissertation tries to sort through the disagreements to provide philosophical clarification and direction to this incipient scholarly union. I argue that rather than building theories around one particular venue of governance, deliberative democrats need to figure out how states, global civil society, and international governmental organizations (IGOs) can work together to mutually buttress a deliberative and democratic global order. I further contend that while scholars of deliberative democracy have done a good job of showing how states and civil society could become more deeply democratic, they have not paid satisfactory attention to the democratic potential of IGOs. I end the dissertation by showing why IGOs ought to move towards deliberative and democratic ideals, illustrating my position with specific suggestions for reforming the U. N. Security Council.

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