Transnational Advocacy, Public Opinion, and the Politicisation of International Organisations: Patterns and Explanations

The past fifty years have witnessed a significant expansion in scope and authority of international organizations (IOs), such as the European Union (EU), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the United Nations (UN). For a long time, this shift of authority to the global level proceeded beneath the radar of public awareness and contention. Yet developments since the 1990s suggest that the time of passive acceptance is over. Much of the recent populist current is driven by dissatisfaction with European and global governance. Electorates in several European countries have rejected European treaties in popular referenda. A variety of societal actors, such as businesses, NGOs, political parties, and social movements, have engaged in transnational advocacy activities, challenging IOs for their policies and decision-making modes. These developments raise fundamental questions about how the empowerment of IOs affects transnational advocacy – in terms of the mobilization, goals, strategies, and impact of societal actors – and public opinion – in terms of the political attitudes and participation of citizens towards IOs. While there is a well-developed literature on the politicization of the EU, we know comparatively little about the politicization of other IOs. Furthermore, whereas some research has been undertaken on the organizational dimension of transnational advocacy, we lack systematic knowledge about the relationship between transnational collective action and public opinion. This workshop aims to provide new insights on the links between transnational advocacy, citizens, and processes of IOs' politicization. We welcome scholars from international relations, comparative politics, political sociology, and other disciplines who carry out theory-guided research in one (or a combination of) of the three following categories: (1) conceptualization, measurement, and mapping patterns of politicization related to the policies of IOs, (2) explanations of varying patterns of politicization, and (3) consequences of politicization for contemporary modes of interest representation and public opinion.