Civilizing the world order? The scope and potential of transnational norm-building networks

Civil society organizations, epistemic communities, and lobby groups -what we call transnational norm-building networks - are influencing the global economy and global politics more than ever before. We argue that such transnational norm-building networks, in contrast to the dominating executive intergovernmental elites and democratically deficient supranational bodies, hold the scope and potential for a more civilized world order. They are - together with states and international governmental organizations - creating new norms; they are setting standards. They associate the voice of stakeholders with decision-making processes, thus leading to an increase in legitimate world governance. (GIGA)