Introduction: The State and International Organizations

Abstract

The traditional literature in international relations begins with, and focuses on, states. From a political perspective, states have power, both military and economic, that other institutions or individuals do not. From a legal perspective, states are sovereign. In international law, states are recognized as actors; other institutions (or, for that matter, individuals) are not. And yet, international organizations (IOs) are attracting increasing attention, both positive and negative. They are also increasingly becoming a focus of study by political scientists. This book is an introduction to the study of IOs in the field of international relations. It looks at the different ways in which IOs are studied, and then applies these different modes of study to a variety of specific issue areas and cases.