The international political order experiences a profound transformation. Modern international institutions often exercise political authority in their own right, partially intervening deeply in the affairs of national societies. At the same time, international institutions appear often as too weak to, for instance, regulate international financial markets or to effectively combat climate change and its impacts. As a result, societal and national demands and resistances directed at these institutions are growing and we observe transnational disputes over the future of political cooperation beyond national borders.

In order to capture, explain, and evaluate these dynamics, our research is organized around three inter-related clusters. The first one focusses on ‘Political Authority in Global Governance’ more specifically. The second cluster addresses ‘Normative Tensions and Coordination Conflicts’ in the international system. The third cluster, finally, focusses on the ‘Politicization and Challengers of Global Governance’.