Agents, Subjects, Objects, or Phantoms? Labor, the Environment, and Liberal Institutionalization

Abstract

The liberal institutionalization of world politics has engendered a vibrant debate over its form and its content. The proposals range from those aiming at the democratization of international institutions to those that aim to modify them at the margins. This contribution proposes that the democratization of social institutions has both an internal (within an organization or sector) and an external (in relation to whole political economy) dimension. Not surprisingly, unions and environmentalists have limited influence on international institutions when compared to corporations and liberal economic ministries. There is enough evidence, however, that liberal elites are advocating the selective inclusion of liberal unionists and environmentalists at the expense of social unionists and environmentalists. In addition to other responses, social unions and environmentalists should make internal democratization a priority and should utilize domestic fora, where unions and environmentalists have more access and resources, in a manner that embeds domestic tactics within inclusive internationalist strategies.