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Martin Binder

Bio: Martin Binder is an academic researcher from University of Reading. The author has contributed to research in topics: Legitimacy & Human rights. The author has an hindex of 10, co-authored 27 publications receiving 638 citations. Previous affiliations of Martin Binder include Levy Economics Institute & Max Planck Society.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors define the concept of authority-politicization nexus and argue that the increasing authority of international institutions has led to their politicization and relate this hypothesis to alternative explanations.
Abstract: The article focuses on the politicization of international authority as a thus far little understood development in world politics. We first define the concept and show that there is an empirical trend towards politicization of international institutions. We then argue that the increasing authority of international institutions has led to their politicization and we relate this hypothesis to alternative explanations. The validity of the authority–politicization nexus is illustrated by the rise of international authority in parallel to politicization. We go on to distinguish different policy functions such as rule definition, monitoring, interpretation, and enforcement in order to show that especially those international institutions with a high level of authority meet with strong contestation of their competencies. We conclude the article by exploring various avenues for future politicization research.

381 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors analyzes evaluative statements made by states in UN General Assembly debates on the Security Council, for the period 1991-2009, and concludes that the Council suffers from a legitimacy deficit because negative evaluations of the Council by UN member states far outweigh positive ones.
Abstract: Existing research on the legitimacy of the UN Security Council is conceptual or theoretical, for the most part, as scholars tend to make legitimacy assessments with reference to objective standards. Whether UN member states perceive the Security Council as legitimate or illegitimate has yet to be investigated systematically; nor do we know whether states care primarily about the Council's compliance with its legal mandate, its procedures, or its effectiveness. To address this gap, our article analyzes evaluative statements made by states in UN General Assembly debates on the Security Council, for the period 1991–2009. In making such statements, states confer legitimacy on the Council or withhold legitimacy from it. We conclude the following: First, the Security Council suffers from a legitimacy deficit because negative evaluations of the Council by UN member states far outweigh positive ones. Nevertheless, the Council does not find itself in an intractable legitimacy crisis because it still enjoys a rudimentary degree of legitimacy. Second, the Council's legitimacy deficit results primarily from states' concerns regarding the body's procedural shortcomings. Misgivings as regards shortcomings in performance rank second. Whether or not the Council complies with its legal mandate has failed to attract much attention at all.

94 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
12 Jun 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, a theoretisch-konzeptionelle perspektive auf the institutionellen Dynamiken in den internationalen Beziehungen nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg is presented.
Abstract: Der vorliegende Beitrag ist forschungsprogrammatischer Natur. Er entwickelt eine theoretisch-konzeptionelle Perspektive auf die institutionellen Dynamiken in den internationalen Beziehungen nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg, die mit der Schaffung von zwischenstaatlichen Institutionen einsetzten und moglicherweise zu einer normativ gehaltvollen politischen Ordnung jenseits des Nationalstaats fuhren. Vor dem Hintergrund einer Diagnose uber die Erfolge und Misserfolge internationaler Institutionen werden zwei zentrale Thesen und die mit ihnen verbundenen Kausalmechanismen entwickelt, die den nichtintendierten Folgen von politischen Eingriffen eine zentrale Bedeutung zuschreiben. Der ersten These zufolge hat die Verlagerung des Regierens auf internationale Institutionen einen nicht intendierten Trend zur Supra- und Transnationalisierung der politischen Steuerung zur Folge. Die zweite These geht davon aus, dass die zunehmende Eingriffstiefe und der Bedeutungszuwachs von trans- und supranationalen Institutionen im Laufe der Zeit zu einer gesellschaftlichen Politisierung und zu Legitimationsproblemen politischer Steuerung jenseits des Nationalstaats fuhren.

74 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The United Nations Security Council has responded more strongly to some humanitarian crises than to others over the past two decades as mentioned in this paper, and this variation in Security Council action raises the important question: "Why?"
Abstract: Over the past two decades, the United Nations Security Council has responded more strongly to some humanitarian crises than to others. This variation in Security Council action raises the important...

29 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper examined the extent and the nature of the selectivity of humanitarian crises in the post-Cold War era and identified the most severe humanitarian crises and examined for whether and how the international community responded.
Abstract: How has the international community responded to humanitarian crises after the end of the Cold War? While optimistic ideational perspectives on global governance stress the importance of humanitarian norms and argue that humanitarian crises have been increasingly addressed, more skeptical realist accounts point to material interests and maintain that these responses have remained highly selective. In empirical terms, however, we know very little about the actual extent of selectivity since, so far, the international community’s reaction to humanitarian crises has not been systematically examined. This article addresses this gap by empirically examining the extent and the nature of the selectivity of humanitarian crises. To do so, the most severe humanitarian crises in the post-Cold War era are identified and examined for whether and how the international community responded. This study considers different modes of crisis response (ranging from inaction to military intervention) and different actors (including states, international institutions, and nonstate actors), yielding a more precise picture of the alleged “selectivity gap” and a number of theoretical implications for contemporary global security governance.

24 citations


Cited by
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01 Jan 2008
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them, and describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative.
Abstract: What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.

2,134 citations

Posted Content
TL;DR: F fuzzy sets allow a far richer dialogue between ideas and evidence in social research than previously possible, and can be carefully tailored to fit evolving theoretical concepts, sharpening quantitative tools with in-depth knowledge gained through qualitative, case-oriented inquiry.
Abstract: In this innovative approach to the practice of social science, Charles Ragin explores the use of fuzzy sets to bridge the divide between quantitative and qualitative methods. Paradoxically, the fuzzy set is a powerful tool because it replaces an unwieldy, "fuzzy" instrument—the variable, which establishes only the positions of cases relative to each other, with a precise one—degree of membership in a well-defined set. Ragin argues that fuzzy sets allow a far richer dialogue between ideas and evidence in social research than previously possible. They let quantitative researchers abandon "homogenizing assumptions" about cases and causes, they extend diversity-oriented research strategies, and they provide a powerful connection between theory and data analysis. Most important, fuzzy sets can be carefully tailored to fit evolving theoretical concepts, sharpening quantitative tools with in-depth knowledge gained through qualitative, case-oriented inquiry. This book will revolutionize research methods not only in sociology, political science, and anthropology but in any field of inquiry dealing with complex patterns of causation.

1,828 citations

Posted Content
TL;DR: McQueen et al. as mentioned in this paper presented a special symposium issue of Social Identities under the editorship of Griffith University's Rob McQueen and UBC's Wes Pue and with contributions from McQueen, Ian Duncanson, Renisa Mawani, David Williams, Emma Cunliffe, Chidi Oguamanam, W. Wesley Pue, Fatou Camara, and Dianne Kirkby.
Abstract: Scholars of culture, humanities and social sciences have increasingly come to an appreciation of the importance of the legal domain in social life, while critically engaged socio-legal scholars around the world have taken up the task of understanding "Law's Empire" in all of its cultural, political, and economic dimensions. The questions arising from these intersections, and addressing imperialisms past and present forms the subject matter of a special symposium issue of Social Identities under the editorship of Griffith University's Rob McQueen, and UBC's Wes Pue and with contributions from McQueen, Ian Duncanson, Renisa Mawani, David Williams, Emma Cunliffe, Chidi Oguamanam, W. Wesley Pue, Fatou Camara, and Dianne Kirkby. This paper introduces the volume, forthcoming in late 2007. The central problematique of this issue has previously been explored through the 2005 Law's Empire conference, an informal but vibrant postcolonial legal studies network.

1,813 citations

Journal Article

1,684 citations