Between Fragmentation and Cooperation: Towards a Comparative Analysis of Trajectories of Transnational Governance Fields

Abstract

As a result of the ‘Cambrian explosion’ of transnational standards, programs, and institutions, global governance has not only become increasingly specialized and differentiated into different (polycentric) governance fields. Each of these governance fields has also developed specific patterns of internal fragmentation and cooperation. While some governance fields are characterized by significant internal fragmentation, duplication and competition, more extensive cooperation and coordination can be observed in others. This panel aims to gain a better understanding of the sources of fragmentation as well as cooperation and coordination within governance fields, through a comparative longitudinal analysis of the trajectories along which transnational governance fields evolve over time.