Chair: Irene Fernández Molina (Universidad Complutense)

Co-Chair: Manuel Iglesias Cavicchioli (Universidad Complutense)

Discussant: Javier Morales Hernández (University of Oxford)

Deadline for paper proposals: 17 October

http://www.ipsa.org/my-ipsa/events/madrid2012/panel/non-governmental-actors-and-foreign-policy-analysis

Abstract:

The influence of actors other than state institutions and political leaders in foreign policy-making has been the focus of an increased attention by International Relations researchers, especially in the field of Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA). Major corporations, think tanks, lobbying companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic experts and ‘epistemic communities’, religious groups, social movements and other private organizations like Wikileaks are considered to have an influence in foreign policy decisions that greatly exceeds the more direct channels, such as formal lobbying or participation in official advisory councils. Furthermore, the ‘two-level game’ between the domestic and international arenas allows for the appearance of transnational non-state actors that also play a significant role in determining a state’s foreign policy orientation, as well as domestic players. The papers in this panel will present case studies of specific countries and/or actors, covering one or more of these suggested broad research questions in order to facilitate discussion among panellists: (a) Which are the causal/constitutive pathways along which these entities shape the foreign policy agenda? (b) To what extent are state sovereignty and FPA’s traditional ‘bureaucratic politics’ model undermined by them? (c) Which non-governmental actors are more relevant in every issue area? (d) How does regime type correlate with their relative influence vis-à-vis state institutions?