This book provides the reader with a broad overview of the current debate on the evaluation of transnational NGOs, combining the academic with the practitioners perspectives. The contributions to this edited volume deal with the key concepts of legitimacy, accountability and representation, covering a variety of issue areas and NGOs.

Critics question the representativeness of NGOs, the democratic quality of their internal procedures, and their accountability to the wider public. This volume, written jointly by academics and practitioners, clarifies the issues at stake and controversially discusses proposals for reform.

It is often argued that the enhanced consultation of civil society contributes to the democratization of European and global governance. This collection investigates whether this theoretical argument is supported by empirical evidence. Ten original essays analyze current patterns of civil society consultation in 32 intergovernmental organizations.

It is often argued that enhanced consultation of civil society may contribute to the democratization of European and global governance. This collection investigates whether this theoretical argument is supported by empirical evidence. Ten original essays analyze current patterns of civil society consultation in thirty two inter-governmental organizations and regimes, concluding that while civil society consultation has great potential, most institutional arrangements developed so far fall short of realizing its democratizing capacity.

In spite of the conspicuous lack of normatively plausible alternatives to liberal democracy, it is now widely held that the age of globalization has ushered in serious challenges to the democratic legitimacy of the nation state. This alleged crisis of the western nation state seems to be compounded by the legitimacy deficits of newly emerging governance structures at the international and supranational level. The contributors to this book explore the frontiers of normative and empirical legitimacy research, whilst drawing upon a range of pertinent conceptual and methodological issues.

Focusing on the development of justificatory discourse on global governance, the author examines how differing conceptions of distributive and social justice have played a role in negotiations in the domains of security, economics, and protecting the environment.

Focusing on the development of justificatory discourse on global governance, Steffek examines how differing conceptions of distributive and social justice have played a role in negotiations in the domains of security, economics, and protecting the environment.

In spite of the lack of plausible alternatives to liberal democracy, the age of globalization has ushered in serious challenges to the democratic legitimacy of the nation state. The contributors in this collection explore the frontiers of normative and empirical legitimacy research, drawing upon a range of key conceptual and methodological issues.