CIAO DATE: 11/2008
June 2003
Institute on Globalization and the Human Condition, McMaster University
In this paper, I attempt to take account of the suggestions of numerous globalization theorists that some core concepts need to be reworked as part of the process of developing knowledge of globalization. I introduce the concept of a ‘transnational policy space’ in exchange for more usual political science concepts like ‘multi-level governance’ and ‘policy community’. It is a bit of an experiment and definitely preliminary, but I found the exercise useful. I then seek to show how the concept might work by describing developments in agriculture policy in the postwar period, arguing that such a transnational policy space has gradually emerged in this policy field. I would appreciate any comments members of the Institute on Globalization and the Human Condition and team members of the Globalization and Autonomy project might have on this work.
The paper has been through a form of peer review. An earlier version was presented at a conference on “Reconfiguring Authority in the 21st Century” held at the Center for International Studies at the University of Toronto in March 2002, under the able direction of two of the scholars from the Globalization and Autonomy team, Edgar Grande and Louis W. Pauly. A revised version was presented at a second conference of this group held at the Technische Universität München in October 2002, again under the able leadership of Professors Grande and Pauly. I am indebted to all the participants at these two conferences for their comments. Professors Grande and Pauly gave me additional constructive feedback, which I used in preparing this version of the paper. They are preparing a volume entitled Reconstituting Political Authority: Complex Sovereignty and the Foundations of Global Governance based on the papers at these two conferences.
Resource link: Globality and Transnational Policy-Making in Agriculture: Complexity, Contradictions, and Conflict [PDF] - 154K