International Authority and the Emergency Problematique. IO Empowerment Through Crises

This new workshop series on Authoritarian Politics and International Relations (APIR) offers a forum for systematic debate about authoritarianism in world politics. In our opening session on June 19, Christian Kreuder-Sonnen will speak about how authoritarian practices take hold in International Organisations (IOs) in challenging times. He will present his paper “International Authority and the Emergency Problematique. IO empowerment through crises”. By studying the crises reactions of the United Nations Security Council or the European Union, for example, he finds significant authority leaps: IOs both expand their executive discretion by lowering institutional checks and balances and by reducing the legal protection of subjects. This IO exceptionalism has a tendency to become a normalized and permanent feature of important international organizations. 

The seminar series aims at bringing together scholars from Comparative Politics and International Relations. The relevance of authoritarianism at the international level is growing, and authoritarian politics and international relations become increasingly intertwined. Yet, the two disciplines all too often remain regrettably unaware of one another. We want to provide a forum to exchange perspectives and findings and bridge the disciplinary divide between the Comparative Politics of authoritarianism and International Relations.

We invite papers combining comparative authoritarianism and IR, as well as contributions that help clarify important theoretical concepts and empirical patterns in either discipline. We encourage presentations on normative political theory with a focus on regime type and international affairs. Colleagues interested in presenting in the workshop series should email Alex Tokhi (alexandros.tokhi [at] wzb.eu) or Alex Schmotz (alexander.schmotz [at] wzb.eu).

When:
Once a month on a Tuesday afternoon

Where:
WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Reichpietschufer 50, 10785 Berlin, Room A305

What: 
A classic format: 90 minute research seminar with one paper presentation (15 min), one discussant (10), and plenty of time for Q&A

Who:
All scholars from WZB and the Berlin area and anyone interested in authoritarian politics and/or international relations

Organised by Alexandros Tokhi (Department Global Governance) and Alexander Schmotz (Department of Democracy & Democratisation)