Governing the Globe? The theory, architecture, and practice of Global Governance

Almost everything that happens in the world today is governed - by states, by corporations, and by a range of private/not-for-profit entities. All too often this governance is obscure and unobserved, and yet it shapes not only how we live today but what our collective future will be. This course ‘shines a light’ on some of the ways we govern ourselves, looking at the formal and informal actors that exist, the history of managing our collective affairs, and some of the issues/areas that governance occurs in. We have always sought to govern our affairs, individually and collectively, but through the co-action of economic change, societal development, and technological innovation what, and how, we govern has changed. The course starts by considering the ideas that underpin governance - why we have it and why it is designed in the way that it is. With those initial thoughts exposed, together we will examine the formal architecture of global governance at the global, regional, and trans-regional levels. We will also consider the human practice of governance - the history, role, and obligations of the diplomat. From there we will examine some of the key sites of governance in 2025, looking at the key actors, processes, and successes, in these different areas. Throughout the course we will reflect not only on the benefits of governance but also the pathologies, shortcomings, and unnecessary complexities that accompany it. We will constantly ask ‘who is governance for’ and ‘what is the purpose of governance’. Finally, we will ask how the concept and practice of governance will fair in the 21st century - an era of uncertainty, unprecedented change, and potential ‘poly-crisis’.