Transnational Civil Society and the World Bank Investigating Civil Society’s Potential to Democratize Global Governance

Christopher L. Pallas shows that while transnational activists have had significant impact on World Bank policy, their activities have not contributed to democratizing the Bank. Armed with clear definitions of democracy and legitimacy, Pallas shows that activists have been the most effective in pursuing their goals when acting in cooperation with powerful donor states and elites in the global North. In doing so, the transnational civil society has contributed to the marginalization of developing country governments and the disadvantaged groups they represent. Carefully researched and eloquently written, this book makes a significant contribution to the study of civil society in global governance.

- Johannes Urpelainen, Department of Political Science, Columbia University, USA

"Drawing on detailed case analysis, Chris Pallas provides a welcome, measured, provocative critique of easy assumptions about the relationship between civil society and democracy in global governance."

Jan Aart Scholte, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenberg, Sweden and Department of Political Science, University of Warwick, UK