Globalization and the emerging power of civil society organizations: Prospects for a three-sector system of global governance

The contemporary ‘Globalization Era’ has seen a dramatic increase in the numbers, visibility, and influence of Civil Society Organizations (CSO's), which have demonstrated their power vis-a-vis Global Governance in such events as the demise of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) and the intense protests against the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its 1999 Seattle Ministerial meeting. Commonly referred to as being ‘anti-globalization’, this study will show that these CSOs are best designated ‘antielite globalization Global CSOs’ (AEG-GCSOs). One prominent new initiative is to bring these CSOs into the process of Global Governance planning as a ‘Third Sector’ alongside government and business elites, an initiative referred to as ‘tripartite partnerships’ and ‘global policy networks’.; This Dissertation is intended to clarify the essential nature and significance of civil society and the AEG-GCSO movement in relation to globalization and global governance, the broad outlines of which are given in Chapter One. Chapter Two clarifies the historical and theoretical origins of ‘civil society’, leading to the construction of a typology of common meanings associated with the term. The terms ‘globalization’ and ‘global governance’ are then clarified. Chapter Three provides an historical survey of the ‘rebirth’ of civil society in the twentieth century, illuminating in the process the similar general historical conditions present as at the eighteenth century ‘birth’ of civil society as well as the dissimilar immediate historical conditions. Contemporary conceptualizations of the rebirth of civil society are investigated, with particular attention given to the ‘two-celled’ vs. ‘three-celled’ debate.; Chapter Four draws upon the findings of the previous two chapters to investigate the current status and future prospects of AEG-GCSO activism regarding global governance. The differing agendas and strategies of actors from all three spheres are identified as resulting from their adherence to either two-celled or three-celled fundamental perspectives, and the implications of these world views for empirical actions are specified. Chapter Five summarizes the findings of this study and surveys the immediate prospects for a Three sector ‘tripartite partnership’ system of global governance.