No actorness without autonomy

Abstract

This chapter provides an indicator-based measurement framework to compare the structural autonomy of IPAs. The aggregate results show, for instance, that the World Bank secretariat, the European Commission administration, and the administration of the European Central Bank are relatively autonomous, whereas the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations secretariats are characterized by a low degree of structural autonomy. In terms of theory development, the dominant theme has been how best to conceptualize the relationship between the bureaucracy and their political principals. Using internal bureaucratic structures to systematically study under which conditions and to what extent international bureaucratic influence emerges autonomously from political superiors has rarely been studied. To develop autonomy of will, an administration first requires the “administrative cohesion” to overcome obstacles to collective action and to interact with political actors as a unified organizational entity.