Transnational Civil Society and the Democratization of Global Governance

Abstract

The introduction of this book outlined two schools of thought regarding TCS. One suggested that TCS would remedy the democratic deficits present in global governance institutions like the World Bank. The other challenged the capacity of TCS to democratize global governance and even suggested that TCS might worsen existing imbalances in power between the citizens of poor and rich nations. Data on TCS engagement with the World Bank support and challenge some of the contentions of each school. The data present a new picture of TCS and its role in global governance and suggest new directions for further research. This chapter begins with a discussion of this book’s findings and directions for future research, analyzes the consequences of these findings for our understanding of TCS’s potential to democratize global governance, and then explores ways in which TCS’s influence can be shaped and channeled to enhance its democratizing effects.