Uhlin A: Democracy in global governance: the promises and pitfalls of transnational actors. Glob Gov 2010

The participation of transnational actors in global policy-making is increasingly seen as a means to democratize global governance. This paper assesses the promises and pitfalls of this vision, drawing on alternative theories of democracy and existing empirical evidence. More specifically, it explores how the structuring and operation of international institutions, public-private partnerships, and transnational actors themselves may facilitate expanded participation and enhanced accountability in global governance. The paper finds considerable support for an optimistic verdict on the democratizing potential of transnational actor involvement, but also identifies a set of hurdles in democratic theory and the practice of global governance that motivate a more cautious outlook. It ends in a call for research that explores the conditions for democracy in global governance through a combination of normative political theory and positive empirical research