Networks in International Relations

Abstract

International Relations (IR) IR applications of network analysis have seen a remarkable renaissance in the last years. The progress in data availability as well as the development of diverse statistical tools allows researchers to tackle old research questions (cooperation and conflict, war and peace, economic (inter)dependence, global governance) with new methods, and to discover completely new perspectives. First, data of membership in IGOs and INGOs, of preferential trade agreements, of international trade flows are genuinely relational – and they can be easily collected. Second, the recent breakthroughs in exponential random graph modeling for cross-sectional as well as for dynamic networks, for one-mode as well as for bi-mode data, for binary as well as for valued data offer a series of new research designs. This panel addresses both substantial as well as methodical research questions. E.g., we urgently need to understand the structure, the dynamics, and the impact of global networks in different globalized policy fields (Global Health Governance, Global Energy Governance, and Global Climate Governance). Network analysis allows us to trace the diffusion of policies and ideas across countries. It is still an open question which role the state will play in an increasingly globalizing world. Thus, we have to assess the relative impact of international, transgovernmental as well as of transnational relations on policy-making at different levels. Papers may conceive international networks both as dependent variable (causes of network formation ) as well as an independent variable (impact assessment with regard to pre-specified network structures). Proposals may also have a pronounced statistical focus discussing new models as applied to IR topics.

Title	Details
Bargaining, Networks and International Conflict	View Paper Details