ABSTRACT
The value of the study of nonstate actors in world politics continues to increase for students of international relations. As the number of nonstate actors increases and their involvement in world affairs broadens, need to understand who these actors are and how and why they affect political and economic outcomes in the world also increases. The simplest definition of nonstate actors is that they are entities other than nation-states that interact in the international political system. The performance of international/multilateral tasks requires that nonstate actors create institutions to coordinate policies, manage funds and programs, and facilitate decisionmaking. A nonstate actor's decisionmaking process is an important determinant of its behavior. The decisionmaking process reflects the degree of integration of an organization, as well as its functions and structures. The analysis and evaluation of nonstate actors must be based on a framework specifically constructed for the study of the groups.
