عنوان

Why Has the Number of International Non-Governmental Organizations Exploded since 1960?

Number

LA97p470sx

Title Proper

Why Has the Number of International Non-Governmental Organizations Exploded since 1960?

General Material Designation

[Article]

First Statement of Responsibility

Turner, Edward A L

Text of Note

The rapid expansion of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) numbers in the last half-century is usually explained to be a result of decolonization, globalization, and/or increase in the number of global issues. One additional hypothesis, which has not been discussed in the political science literature, is suggested by the demographic-structural theory. According to this hypothesis, the acceleration in INGO numbers was caused by the post-war baby boom and a crisis in the credential system. This study finds that cyclical increases in INGO numbers were preceded by expansions in the 30-39 cohort. Interestingly, the mean age of leaders across 12 international governmental institutions also oscillated, but with a lag (thus correlated with expansions of the 55-64 cohort). Thus evidence supports the idea that demographic-structural mechanisms contributed to the surge in INGO numbers during the last 50 years as a by-product of intraelite competition.

Date of Publication

2010

Title

UC Riverside

Electronic name

[Article]

275578

a

Y