Introduction: International Organisations and Transnational Diffusion

Abstract

AbstractInternational organisations (IOs) have long been vibrant actors that influence global governance and transnational diffusion processes of social policies. IOs use a variety of mechanisms to influence international spheres and national policy-making processes. A few are able to distribute financial resources and implement projects, which directly affect people’s lives, and they may also (re)direct national social policies. Many other IOs active in global social policy rather exert soft governance and act as regionally or globally active think tanks that develop and diffuse ideas and norms about social policy issues. Moreover, such IO-induced norms may also become global norms and affect not only member states but all states. This chapter provides a brief overview about current research on IOs in the domain of social policies.