Rules for the World: International Organizations in Global Politics

by Michael Barnett, Martha Finnemore

Rules for the World provides an innovative perspective on the behavior of international organizations and their effects on global politics. Arguing against the conventional wisdom that these bodies are little more than instruments of states, Michael Barnett and Martha Finnemore begin with the fundamental insight that international organizations are bureaucracies that have authority to make rules and so exercise power. At the same time, Barnett and Finnemore maintain, such bureaucracies can become obsessed with their own rules, producing unresponsive, inefficient, and self-defeating outcomes. Authority thus gives international organizations autonomy and allows them to evolve and expand in ways unintended by their creators. Barnett and Finnemore reinterpret three areas of activity that have prompted extensive policy the use of expertise by the IMF to expand its intrusion into national economies; the redefinition of the category "refugees" and decision to repatriate by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; and the UN Secretariat's failure to recommend an intervention during the first weeks of the Rwandan genocide. By providing theoretical foundations for treating these organizations as autonomous actors in their own right, Rules for the World contributes greatly to our understanding of global politics and global governance.

Genres: Politics, International Relations, Political Science, Nonfiction, Academic, Theory

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2004

Reviews

[Lukáš · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had read this for a class on global governance. On one hand, the authors provide a deep theoretically informed discussion on the role of bureaucreacies of the IOs in world politics including three major case studies (the IMF, UNHCR and the UN approach to Rwanda) that offer a good picture of the way how IOs are relevant in what is going on in the world [no matter how "hard" one is on the usual realist assumption of the "real" world of power politics and state interests, the offered perspective reminds that these often simply get mediated through the bureaucratic systems of IOs which often distorts their intents - this is not explicit, but definitely traceable in the text:]. The problem of this book, though, is that it falls into the IR Constructivist research program, which is not without its problems, especially when it comes to identity concerns and a partially concealed weakness with addressing its own political biases. A nice piece, nevertheless.

[Shannon Wells · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this for class, so I’m not necessarily providing an opinion with an expert or professional backing. I did enjoy how accessible the reading was. A lot of academic work uses language as a barrier (unintentionally or not), and it was refreshing how easy this was to follow and annotate. However, a lot of the backings and claims made are very strong with no reference to other material outside of the authors’ own theoretical approaches to the topic of IOs.

[Hannah Katz · Rating 4 out of 5]

In their book Rules for the World, Barnett and Finnemore provide a comprehensive understanding of how and why international organizations operate the way they do. I find that through their constructivist approach to understanding the behavior of international organizations and bureaucracy, the authors fill a gap in previous international relations literature. They offer a nuanced understanding of how international organizations (IO) have a meaningful impact on the way the world operates, as well as the complex relationship between the State and IO.

A strength of Barnett and Finnemore’s book is how it is organized - they set up their ultimate arguments through introducing a theoretical framework, grounding these theories in case studies and providing their insight. Their structure allows readers to clearly follow the authors' train of thought and arguments. This book ultimately solves the puzzle of why IOs often stray from their original purpose, generate self defeating outcomes and harm the exact population they are supposed to help.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read due to the array of case studies and examples the authors explore, the depth of knowledge displayed and the nuanced constructivist discussions surrounding organizations that affect our lives more than we know. I especially enjoyed chapter 6, where they discuss the expansion of the UNHCR and how it has influenced the global perception and definition of refugees. I find that their discussion is straightforward and honest, showing how the UNHCR has expanded its definition of refugees, but at the same time, they leave refugees, including the Rohingyas, more vulnerable. However, I believe that their account of IOs are sometimes unashamedly critical and sometimes biased.

As a student of international relations and politics, Barnett and Finnemore allowed me to “go back to basics” by redefining, in many respects, what an international organization actually is, and how these organizations have minds of their own. I therefore highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the functionality and purpose of the international organizations that dictate much of international relations.

[Adam Eveleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and very readable academic book!

[Kylea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect overview of how international organizations operate as well as an overview of several IOs and how they are distinct from each other.

[Stephen]

Read for a class. This book is composed with a general introduction to international organizations from the liberalist perspective (geared toward an audience with at least a basic knowledge of international politics), followed by several case studies examining the creation and evolution of IOs. Much is devoted to sociological aspects of bureaucracies as defined by Weber.

While interesting to the initiated, it would be a dull exercise for those with only a passing interest in its subject.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lays out a constructivist understanding of international organizations as bureaucracies, and specifically analyzes them in terms of four aspects of behaviour: autonomy, power, dysfunction and change.

[Justiina Dahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent analysis of the relationships between expertise, knowledge and power formation from the sidelines of state-centric international politics.