ABSTRACT
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are among the most prominent features of contemporary international life. The significance of NGOs in world politics has been recognized in a growing body of International Relations research, particularly since the end of the Cold War. White also noted the existence of “super-inter-national” structures, NGOs that themselves consist of international NGOs, one of the most prominent of which today is Accountable Now, which aims to provide a common accountability standard for participating international NGOs. Between the informality of transnational advocacy networks and the formal structures of super-inter-national NGOs are transnational coalitions, which tend to develop around particular issues and campaigns and involve greater coordination than a network with respect to strategy. Alternatively, their influence in International Relations may be conceived in transnational terms, such as by influencing the behaviour of corporations or through transnational service provision. This chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book.
