The journal International Organization has just published a new online open access edition with short accessible essays written by prominent scholars about the future of international order. One of the more provocative essays is by Good Authority editor and Wellesley College professor Stacie Goddard, in an article she wrote with Georgetown University professor Abe Newman.
In this new article, Goddard and Newman argue that we may be witnessing the emergence of a neo-royalist world order. The world now looks less like the liberal, rules-based system many of us grew up studying, and more like a world dominated by powerful patrons, loyal clients, and informal hierarchies – a clique system of “networks of political, capital, and military elites devoted to individual sovereigns.”
In a Good Authority podcast conversation, we talk about what they mean by “neo-royalism,” how this new framework connects to debates about U.S. power, China’s rise, and the politics of global interdependence.
We also discuss some examples of how this new order works, such as the authorization of the sale of large quantities of advanced Nvidia chips to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and other cases where the interests of powerful cliques appear to prevail over national security interests. We discuss royal wannabes, like FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and how this new order competes with other orders. The authors also weigh in on the big question: Is it likely to survive beyond Donald Trump’s presidency?
Hear our conversation using the audio player below. You can also subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Stay up to date on all things politics and political science. Bookmark our landing page and sign up for Good Authority’s weekly newsletter by entering your email address in the box below.
