Torn into the Abyss?

Abstract

AbstractRecent challenges to the liberal international order (LIO) have called into question the efficacy of international organizations (IO s) in global governance. However, it remains unclear if the anticipated crisis of theLIOaffects all policy fields to the same degree. Based on organizational ecology, this article seeks to explain compositions and trajectories across three fields—climate, education, and health. It shows that the three subpopulations ofIO s are stable since the early 2000s, while regionalIO s constitute a significant share of the subpopulations. It further finds notable variation in the distribution of generalist and specialistIO s. While the number of generalistIO s in relation to specialist healthIO s decreased over time, the article finds generalist education and climateIO s have been on the rise. It argues that—as policy issues grow ever more interconnected over time—IO s expand their thematic scopes to new niches.