Using a new data set on formal and informal international institutions as well as a new, continuous measure of the formality of international institutions, I test hypotheses derived from this argument as well as alternative functionalist explanations. States use informal institutions as a means to project power and bias outcomes toward their particularistic interests. I highlight the political dimensions of informal governance and argue that distributional conflict and power asymmetries are critical for the selection and design of informal modes of international cooperation. In this paper, I examine the factors that lead states to choose the specific level of informality of an international institution to structure their interactions and govern global problems. Recent work has started to examine informal governance as a mode of cooperation in global governance.
![informal politics definition informal politics definition](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VWXLO9iTWNQ/maxresdefault.jpg)
They are often inadequate, if not entirely misleading, descriptions of the game that actors play in world politics. Formal rules, however, do not exhaust the institutional variety of international cooperation. Why do states sometimes use informal instead of formal institutions to govern global problems? Extant research on the forms of institutionalization in world politics focuses on formal modes of cooperation, such as intergovernmental organizations and treaties. Furthermore, the accurate knowledge about the factors that shape the emergence and functioning of informal forms of governing will help policy-makers to effectively provide public goods and enhance the legitimacy, equity, and efficiency of global governance institutions.
![informal politics definition informal politics definition](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/0ee57b45-f14f-42dc-b4de-b483bff182b5-151201085451-lva1-app6892/95/masters-thesis-tobias-rcker-informal-decisionmaking-in-the-european-unionan-exploration-of-power-dynamics-in-trilogue-negotiations-11-638.jpg)
This project will fill an important gap in research on international cooperation and global governance by taking systematic account of the wider spectrum of institutional variation. States and transnational actors use informal institutions as a means to project power and influence outcomes according to their particularistic interests. The project highlights the political dimensions of informal governance and argues that distributional conflict and power asymmetries are critical for the selection and design of informal institutions. The research team will also investigate the interactions between formal and informal institutions. This project examines the factors that lead states and transnational actors to choose between formal intergovernmental organisations, informal intergovernmental organisations and transnational governance networks to structure their interactions and govern global problems. Informal governance refers to unwritten – and often vaguely specified – rules and norms that are not enshrined in formally constituted organisations and which modify or substitute legally binding rules. Recent work in political science, economics, and international law has started to examine informal governance as a mode of international cooperation.
![informal politics definition informal politics definition](https://study.com/cimages/videopreview/videopreview-full/n1jzhxmhuz.jpg)
![informal politics definition informal politics definition](https://image2.slideserve.com/3802717/the-politics-of-definition1-n.jpg)
They are often inadequate descriptions of the game that actors play in world politics. Formal rules, however, do not exhaust the institutional variety of international and transnational cooperation. Why have states recently started to use informal institutions instead of formal organisations to govern global policy issues? Extant research on the forms of institutionalisation in global governance focuses on formal modes of cooperation, such as intergovernmental organisations and treaties. #16 Peace, justice and strong institutions.#12 Responsible consumption and production.#9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure.