International Institutions

The Doubtful Handshake: From International to Comparative Political Economy?

Walzenback, G.P.E. In Strange Power: Shaping the Parameters of International Relations and International Political Economy, edited by Thomas Lawton, James Rosenau, Amy C. Verdun, 391-412. London: Routledge, 2000.

Keywords: International Institutions; Theory; Structural Power, Power

Contributor(s): G.P.E. Walzenback, Editor: Thomas Lawton, Editor: James Rosenau and Editor: Amy C. Verdun
Keywords: International Institutions, Theory, Structural Power, Power, Strange-Influenced Works, 2000's
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 2000

Why do International Organisations Never Die?

Strange, Susan. In Autonomous Policy Making by International Organisations, edited by Bob Reinalda, Bertjan Verbeek, 213-220. London: Routledge, 1998.

In this concluding chapter of a collection of articles drawn from a series of workshops organised under the auspices of the ECPR, Strange reflects on the legacy of The Anatomy of Influence see (1974b) and suggests that a focus on international organisation remains a largely European enterprise due to the continuing dominance of liberal institutionalism and (neo)Realism. After applauding the project in the first section, she then turns to some criticisms of the collection's contributors. She suggests that some of the authors have been unable to avoid capture by their subjects and are too kind to the self-perpetuating bureaucracies and secretariats of many international organisations. She argues that these bureaucracies have a symbiotic relationship with the members' governments and thus are able to ride out many local problems. Lastly she briefly alludes (again) to the failure to include the impact of changes in market conditions, changes in technology and the role of MNCs in the international political economic analysis of international organisations.

Keywords: Corporations; Europe; International Institutions; Theory; Transnational Corporations

Contributor(s): Susan Strange, Editor: Bob Reinalda and Editor: Bertjan Verbeek
Keywords: Corporations, Europe, International Institutions, Theory, 1990's
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 1998

The Defective State

Strange, Susan. Daedelus 124, no. 2 (1995): 55-74.

Strange argues that while states remain superficially important as major actors within the global system, the underlying power relations have hollowed out their authority. This authority has in some cases flowed 'upwards' to international institutions, and in other cases flowed down to markets (and also more localised organisations). These movements have led to an asymmetry of structural authority in the global system. Strange also makes some comments regarding the state-centric nature of the discipline of International Relations and suggests a new research agenda based around her conception of structural power and the importance of non-state actors in the functioning of authority. Thus while competition between states continues in some sense, it has been joined by other fields of competition that the disciplines of International Relations and International Political Economy need to contend with if they are to remain relevant to the global political economy.

Keywords: Corporations; International Institutions; States; Structural Power, Power; Transnational Corporations

Contributor(s): Susan Strange
Keywords: Corporations, International Institutions, States, Structural Power, Power, 1990's
Source and Medium: Journal Article

Year of Publication: 1995

GATT and the Politics of North-South Trade

Strange, Susan. Australian Outlook 38, no. 2 (1984): 106-110.

Strange identifies three 'shaky assumptions' underlying the call to revive the GATT negotiations, that protectionism was the main cause of the 1930s depression, that the GATT was a necessary condition of post-war recovery, and free trade was ever a widely followed 'norm'. However, though the alternatives are presented as a hegemonic system run by the US or a multilateral system managed through the GATT, Strange argues that the reality is a cob-web of bi-lateral agreements which accords with many people's desire to have their own state manage their affairs.

Keywords: International Institutions; Trade

Contributor(s): Susan Strange
Keywords: International Institutions, Trade, 1980's
Source and Medium: Journal Article

Year of Publication: 1984

International Shipping and the Developing Countries

Strange, Susan, Richard Holland. World Development 4, no. 3 (1976): 241-251.

Focusing on the importance of sea transport for developing countries that need to gain access to other markets (both for imports and their own exports) Strange and Holland examine the political economy of liner conferences by which international shipping capacity is managed. This private management system does not serve the developing states well leading UNCTAD to press for fairer international rules of conduct for international shipping. On one side the authors suggest that developing countries, where possible may need to develop national carriers to allow them to influence the management of shipping as well offering an secure avenue for their own trade. However, the authors also stress that a political response to the problems is required from the developed states before the problem leads to major disruption in international trade. The authors conclude that a form of international shipping authority needs to be set up to replace the market driven liner conferences.

Keywords: International Institutions; Trade; Transportation; International Development

Contributor(s): Susan Strange and Richard Holland
Keywords: International Institutions, 1970's
Source and Medium: Journal Article

Year of Publication: 1976

Who Runs World Shipping?

Strange, Susan. International Affairs 52, no. 3 (1976): 346-367.

Published alongside 'The Study of Transnational Relations?' (1976). Based on the theory developed in that article, Strange's sectoral analysis (of world shipping), which carries some material forward from 'International shipping and the developing countries' (with Richard Holland, 1976).

Keywords: Theory; Trade; International Institutions; Transportation; International Development

Contributor(s): Susan Strange
Keywords: Theory, Trade, International Institutions, 1970's
Source and Medium: Journal Article

Year of Publication: 1976

Arab Oil and International Finance

Strange, Susan. The Ditchley Journal 1 (1974): 10-23.

Essentially a conference report, Strange discusses the meeting held at Ditchley in December 1973 to discuss the financial prospects and problems for industry and government in the world economy, and the inescapable problem of the oil crisis. Discussing the various aspects of monetary order, from balance of payments problems and trade barriers, to financial flows, she argues that at this point too little work had been done to understand the effects and causes of shifts in monetary flows. In a repeated theme of much of Strange’s work on finance she argues strongly for a move away from an exclusively economic/financial analysis of the problem, and a (re)introduction of political analysis. Again Strange, although less explicitly than elsewhere, argues for a ‘new’ International Political Economy.

Keywords: Hegemony; International Institutions; Money and Finance; Structural Power, Power

Contributor(s): Susan Strange
Keywords: Hegemony, International Institutions, Money and Finance, Structural Power, Power, 1970's, Susan Strange
Source and Medium: Journal Article

Year of Publication: 1974

The Dollar Crisis 1971

Strange, Susan. International Affairs 48, no. 2 (1972): 191-216.

Using the 'Dollar Crisis' as a way of examining the problems which beset academic approaches to international relations Strange suggests that: foreign policy analysis seems unable to recognise the centrality of economic problems for states; (Neo)functionalism is far too optimistic concerning the possibility of international integration; much 'abstract theorising', such as game theory, seems to have no connection with what is happening in the international system; and international economics has diverted attention away from international political problems. Strange forcefully argues that: political economy is crucial to understanding international relations; the US is dominant due to its financial power, not its military or economic might; internationalisation (or now 'globalisation') diminishes the prospective advantages of regional economic solutions; the 'market' must be understood as an actor! Bearing these ideas in mind she then examines the 'Dollar Crisis' concluding that international institutions were revealed as powerless when the US wished to follow a specific policy (revealing its power). Strange would continue to refine this position during the next two decades.

Keywords: Hegemony; International institutions; Markets; Money and Finance; Political Economy

Contributor(s): Susan Strange
Keywords: Hegemony, International Institutions, Markets, Money and Finance, Political Economy, 1970's
Source and Medium: Journal Article

Year of Publication: 1972

The Meaning of Multilateral Surveillance

Strange, Susan. In International Organisation: World Politics: Studies in Economic and Social Agencies, edited by Robert W. Cox, 231-247. London: Macmillan, 1969.

Taking the relationship between debtor and creditor countries as her starting point Strange argues that multilateral surveillance is not as draconian as it is presented. She notes that military expenditure is seldom included in the requests for debtor country adjustments. Despite the international economic organisations’ role, states were still able to manipulate their creditors through political pressures. Interestingly, Strange notes with great prescience that while at the time states could still play this role, with the continuing internationalisation of money markets (and the emergent technologies that made such developments possible), this would in the future present a strategic problem for states’ governments. The approach she favoured was for the reduction of indebtedness to be borne not by the deficit countries but rather by the surplus countries. That is, the solution to the debt crisis was not more adjustment in the ‘Third World’, but was some form of debt forgiveness.

Keywords: International Institutions, Money and Finance

Contributor(s): Susan Strange and Editor: Robert W. Cox
Keywords: International Institutions, Money and Finance, 1960's
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 1969

Debts, Defaulters, and Development

Strange, Susan. International Affairs 43, no. 3 (1967): 516-529.

Strange suggests that problems of national debt default have not been solved, merely suppressed by the expansion of credit provision. Developing states dependence on ‘supplier credit’, and frequent rescheduling of other debts will lead to eventual wide-spread default unless action is taken. She suggests that: principles governing international loans should be established; these ‘rules’ should be applied through aid-agencies and other international bodies; technical assistance to finance ministries should be available from multilateral institutions (the World Bank, possibly) to ensure states understand their fiscal position and their options. Strange argues that these measures are necessary to forestall a return to the nineteenth century policies of forced intervention, or economic ostracisation of developing states. Strange identifies the centrality of finance to international relations - a central theme of all her subsequent work.

Keywords: International Institutions; Money and Finance

Contributor(s): Susan Strange
Keywords: International Institutions, Money and Finance, 1960's
Source and Medium: Journal Article

Year of Publication: 1967

Palestine and the UN

Strange, Susan. In Year Book of World Affairs 1949, edited by F. H. Soward, George W. Keeton, Georg Schwarzenberger, 151-168. London: Stevens, 1949.

Strange comments on the UN deliberations concerning the future of Palestine and highlights the central factor that gave the Zionists an in-built advantage at the assembly. While the Arabs were negotiating in a state that was essentially antipathetic to their struggle, their opposite numbers were surrounded by sympathisers and supporters both within and outside the organisation. She also discusses some of the limitations and problems with such negotiations within the forum of the UN, and alludes to structural impediments to the 'fair' settlement of differences.

Keywords: International Institutions; International Relations; United Nations

Contributor(s): Susan Strange, Editor: F. H. Soward, Editor: George W. Keeton and Editor: Georg Schwarzenberger
Keywords: International Institutions, 1950's and earlier
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 1949