POL 203: Theoretical Perspectives on Global Governance Analysis

This essay analyzes global governance by examining the interconnected issues of peace and security, and environmental protection through the lens of political theories, specifically liberalism, realism, and social constructivism. It explores how these theories offer distinct perspectives on addressing global challenges. The essay emphasizes the importance of international cooperation, resource sharing, and the consideration of historical relations in achieving effective governance. It highlights the significance of environmental protection for human survival and the role of collaboration among nations. The analysis underscores the need for global leaders to address shared challenges through collaborative approaches, drawing on diverse theoretical frameworks to achieve sustainable solutions for peace and security, and environmental protection.

Running head: THEORICAL PERSPECTIVES OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
Theorical Perspectives of Global Governance: A case of “Peace and Security” and
“Environmental Protection”
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1THEORITICAL PERSPECTIVES OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
As opined by Weiss (2016), the concept of global or world governance had gained a
significant amount of prominence within the present times because of the different kinds of
issues like environmental protection, peace and security, human rights, international
development and others that the world is presently facing. Abbott, Green and Keohane (2016)
are of the viewpoint that the concept of global governance can defined as a global movement
which intends to bring political cooperation among the different nations of the world for the
resolution of the problems that affect these nations. This is important because of the fact that
the continued growth as well as the development is likely to depend significantly on the
effectiveness or the efficiency with which the global leaders are being able to manage the
different issues that they are facing in common. In this essay, I will analyse the problems of
peace and security and environmental protection through the specific lens of the political
theories like liberalism, realism and social constructivism.
I personally believe that peace and security is one of the most important issues that
the contemporary world is facing. Cashore et al. (2019) are of the viewpoint that the large
number of territorial disputes, terrorist attacks, political conflicts and others that the different
nations of the world are presently facing is not only affecting the internal as well as external
security of these nations but at the same time adversely affecting the status quo of the world
as well. I am of the viewpoint that the effective usage of the theory of liberalism is likely to
help the nations to resolve this issue and also to secure international peace and security.
However, for the effective usage of this theory, the different nations would not only have to
collaborate in an adequate manner but also share resources, intelligence and others so as to
avoid conflicts and thereby maximise the profits from peace and prosperity (Drainville,
2017). On the other hand, the theory of realism is another important one which can be used
for gaining an effective understanding of the issue of peace and security. As opined by Brown
(2018), one of the most important precepts of the theory of realism is the fact that power

2THEORITICAL PERSPECTIVES OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
should not be the end goal or objective of the different political relationships that the diverse
nations of the world share with each. I personally believe that the different nations of the
world need to collaborate in an effective manner while disregarding the aspect of power
politics so as to secure world peace and security in an adequate manner.
Kirby and Shepherd (2016) are of the viewpoint that one of the most important
aspects of the theory of social constructivism is the fact that the international relations
between the different nations of the world are historical or the social relations constructed
over the years rather than immediate events. For example, if two nations have shared a
tumultuous past then it is very difficult for them to establish a peace relationship no matter
how cordial relation they share presently (Kirton & Trebilcock, 2017). The different nations
of the world for the resolution of the issue off peace and security rather than focusing on its
immediate remedy needs to establish long-term cordial relations with the other nations so as
to resolve it in an effective manner in the near future and also take the help of the above-
mentioned theories of liberalism and realism (Black, 2016).
Vince and Hardesty (2017) have articulated the viewpoint that the increasing amount
of pollution that the world is presently facing and also the threat posed by climate change had
made the issue of environmental protection one of the most important ones from the
perspective of the survival of the human beings and also the entire planet itself. The resultant
effect of this is that the United Nations and also the different nations of the world are actively
trying to resolve the issue of environmental pollution and thereby protect it in the best
manner possible (Biermann, 2017). In this regard, I would say that for the effective
attainment of the end of environmental protection the diverse nations of the world would
have to collaborate in an effective manner so to protect the environment and thereby ensure
the long-term survival of the planet. On the other hand, the theory of realism is another
important one which can be used by different nations for the purpose of protecting the

3THEORITICAL PERSPECTIVES OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
environment in an effective manner. However, for the purpose of attaining the goal of
environmental protection the different nations of the world would have to give up power
politics and thereby try to work in a collaborative manner so as to attain the concerned goal
(Bosselmann, 2016). Lastly, through the effective usage of the theory of social
constructivism, the different nations of the world would have to forget the tumultuous
relations that they have shared with each other in the past and try to create the kind of
relationship with each other that will facilitate the attainment of the concerned goal
(Biermann, 2017). Needless to say, the different nations of the world for the attainment of
environmental protection would have to take into account all the three theories of realism,
liberalism and social constructivism.
To conclude, the concept of global or world governance had gained a significant
amount of prominence within the framework of the contemporary world because of the
different issues that the world is presently facing. More importantly, it is seen that the
different issues that the world is presently facing not only adversely affects the status quo of
the world but at the same time threatens the long-term survival of the world itself. Thus, it
becomes all the more important for the different nations of the world to come together and
take the help of the concept of global governance for the mitigation of the issues like peace
and security, environmental protection, human rights and others. Furthermore, for the
resolution of the issues under discussion here the different nations of the world can take the
help of various political theories like liberalism, social constructivism, realism and others.
These aspects of the process of global or world governance and the issues like environmental
protection and peace and security become apparent from the above analysis.

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References
Abbott, K. W., Green, J. F., & Keohane, R. O. (2016). Organizational ecology and
institutional change in global governance. International Organization, 70(2), 247-277.
Biermann, F. (2017). A World Environment Organization: solution or threat for effective
international environmental governance?. Routledge.
Black, D. R. (2016). A decade of human security: Global governance and new
multilateralisms. Routledge.
Bosselmann, K. (2016). The principle of sustainability: transforming law and governance.
Routledge.
Brown, S. (2018). International relations in a changing global system: toward a theory of the
world polity. Routledge.
Cashore, B., Bernstein, S., Humphreys, D., Visseren-Hamakers, I., & Rietig, K. (2019).
Designing stakeholder learning dialogues for effective global governance. Policy and
Society, 1-30.
Drainville, A. C. (2017). The fetishism of global civil society: global governance,
transnational urbanism and sustainable capitalism in the world economy.
In Transnationalism from below (pp. 35-63). Routledge.
Kirby, P., & Shepherd, L. J. (2016). The futures past of the Women, Peace and Security
agenda. International Affairs, 92(2), 373-392.
Kirton, J. J., & Trebilcock, M. J. (2017). Hard choices, soft law: Voluntary standards in
global trade, environment and social governance. Routledge.

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Vince, J., & Hardesty, B. D. (2017). Plastic pollution challenges in marine and coastal
environments: from local to global governance. Restoration Ecology, 25(1), 123-128.
Weiss, T. G. (2016). Global governance: Why? what? whither?. John Wiley & Sons.