Chapter 7. “Global Civil Society” (Marchetti).

Chapter 7. “Global Civil Society” (Marchetti).

 

1. Define Civil Society. 

2. Explain the different theoretical perspectives on

global civil society (liberal, realist, marxist, 

post-colonial). 

3.  Some International Organizations have supported

the inclusion of civil society actors. Why? (p. 79.) 

4. Explain the relationship between the trend towards

privatization (during the 1980s and 1990s) and the 

new role of civil society organizations as service 

providers. 

5. How does globalization contribute to creating a 

single purpose among civil society actors? 

(p. 79-80) 

6. What is a Transnational network? Give examples. 

7. According to the author, traditional institutions 

have been unable to resolve global issues. 

Why? (p. 80)

8. What is the primary focus of Civil Society action 

at the international level? (p. 80) 

9. Explain the nature of the “accountability deficits 

of global governance bodies” (p. 80). 

10. What would be the solution for those 

“accountability deficits” mentioned above? (p. 80) 

11. What is the key feature of transnational activism? 

(p. 81) 

12. Besides solving traditional problems, civil society 

organizations also generate problems. Why? (p. 81) 

13. How must the civil society organization present the 

issue? Mention the two elements needed in this 

process. (p. 81) 

14. Explain the following steps: production of knowledge; 

dissemination of that knowledge; gaining a recognized 

role in the public sphere as a rightful advocate of 

general interest. (p. 82)

15. What is the role of the experts in this process?

16. What is the role of national conditions in this process?

17. Transnational organizations have a limited political 

life. Why? (p. 83)

18. What are the two extremes of the civil society 

spectrum? Explain both of them (p. 83). 

19. How does co-optation work in this context?

20. Apply the concepts mentioned above (in 

question 14) to the example of the aspiration of 

abolishing the death penalty (p. 84-85). 

 

 

Chapter 6. International Organizations (Shazelina Abidin).

 

1. Explain the importance of international organizations 

for our everyday lives. 

2. Define IGOs.

3. Explain the structures of IGOs. 

4. Explain the United Nations as the prime example of 

an IGO. 

5. List the 6 main organs of the UN. 

6. What is the most important of these organs?

7. Explain the difference between membership and 

participation in an IGO. 

8. Explain the difference between Global governance 

and Global government (p. 73). Is there any authority 

above the states? 

9. All IGOs are intergovernmental. What does it mean?

10. What is a Supranational organization?

11. Explain the discontents at the origin of Brexit. 

12. What do the most typical IGOs do? Explain their ties 

to the UN (p. 74). 

13. Define the Commonwealth of Nations and the 

BRICS (p. 74). 

14. How would you define an INGO? (p. 75).

15. Define the work of Greenpeace (p. 75). 

16. Define a Hybrid Organization (p. 75). 

17. Define the Geneva Conventions (p. 76). 

18. According to the author, International Organizations 

have eroded state impunity. Why? (p. 76). 

19. Explain the importance of the Earth Summit 

-Rio de Janeiro, 1992-.

Chapter 5. International Law (Knut Traisbach)

Chapter 5. International Law (Knut Traisbach)

 

1. Explain the example of the small settlement described

on page 57. Explain how the concepts of territory, 

property, border, et cetera, apply to it.

2. Is there any government, parliament, court, or police, 

in the small settlement? Why?

3. What is the source of validity of the rules in the small 

settlement?

4. This model of primitive legal order is still haunting 

international law. Why?

5. Sovereignty is the foundational pillar of the international 

order. States are bound by authoritative legal precepts 

that they have consented to: what is the main 

consequence of this idea? (p. 58).

6. In other words: there are no restrictions upon the 

independence of States. Is international law really law, 

then? What do you think? Explain. 

7. What was the main point of the critique of Hallett Carr 

and Morgenthau against the idealism of international 

law? What did they propose instead? (p. 59).

8. Name and explain some examples of supranational legal 

norms and regional norms.

9. What is the main point of this chapter, then? (p. 60). 

10. The occidental depiction of international law is not the 

only one existing in the world. Why? (p. 60). 

11. What do international lawyers do? Explain why their 

techniques are not value-neutral (p. 61).

12. Explain the differences between Domestic, Regional, 

and International law (p. 61).  

13. Explain the difference between Public International Law

and Private International Law (p. 61). 

14. Explain the difference between the law of peace and 

the law of war. What does IHL regulate? (p. 61). 

15. Explain the legal regulation of the resort to force (p. 62). 

16. Why does the author say that there is a “blurred 

distinction” between the law of peace and the law of 

armed conflict? (p. 62). 

17. Explain how the international legal norm of 

prohibiting torture developed (p. 62-63). 

18. Customary practices are, according to the author, a 

problematic source of law. Why? (p. 64). 

19. Explain the reasons for the establishment of the 

United Nations. What is the role of the U.N.?

20. Explain the role of the Security Council of the UN.

21. Explain the role of the main UN subsidiary organs 

(p. 66). 

22. Explain the R2P principle. 

23. Explain the 3 different stages of the evolution of an 

international norm: from a private initiative to a public 

normative authority (p. 67-68).