Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Money and Politics on the International Stage
- 2 A Theory of Trading Security Council Votes for Aid
- 3 Examples of Punishments, Threats, and Rewards
- 4 Who Wins Election to Represent the World?
- 5 Statistical Evidence of Trading Finance for Favors
- 6 Consequences of Politically Motivated Aid
- 7 Reforming the UNSC
- References
- Author Index
- Subject Index
1 - Money and Politics on the International Stage
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2014
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Money and Politics on the International Stage
- 2 A Theory of Trading Security Council Votes for Aid
- 3 Examples of Punishments, Threats, and Rewards
- 4 Who Wins Election to Represent the World?
- 5 Statistical Evidence of Trading Finance for Favors
- 6 Consequences of Politically Motivated Aid
- 7 Reforming the UNSC
- References
- Author Index
- Subject Index
Summary
Trading Favors
Trading money for political influence takes place at every level of government. We may tip the mailman in hope of better service. Lobbyists shower government officials with lavish trips in an effort to convince them to support their cause. A presidential administration may deliver cash to legislators for their support. Some cases are innocent, some questionable, and others illegal, but the fact remains that these kinds of exchanges are commonplace. So it should not be surprising to learn that governments themselves trade money for political influence on the international stage.
Strange, however, is the tale we tell. In our study, the central political commodity that is bought and sold is legitimacy. We investigate how governments trade money for political influence – a practice commonly considered illegitimate – to obtain a shroud of legitimacy for their foreign policies.
The story begins in New York City, home of the United Nations, where the Security Council regularly meets to pass resolutions concerning the world’smost vital security issues. Uniquely powerful, the Security Council serves as the most important organ of the UN. Its highly visible actions often receive considerable press, in no small part because its powers include imposing economic sanctions on sovereign nations and providing legal authority for military action against them. Famous cases include the authorizing of military force in the Korean Peninsula in 1950, the invasion of Iraq in 1990, and the bombing of Libya in 2011.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Political Economy of the United Nations Security CouncilMoney and Influence, pp. 1 - 34Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2014