ABSTRACT
Introduction: defining transnational actors A key issue in this chapter is the extent to which transnational actors (TNAs) have challenged the centrality of the state as the most important actor in international relations. Realists, such as Mearsheimer (1995:9-11), argue that TNAs and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) are second-order actors; they are merely ‘intervening variables in their ability to change state behaviour’. Conversely, some liberal and radical analyses assert that TNAs are an integral part of the structure of international politics, advancing interests as diverse as transnational capital, secessionist movements, women, children and the environment. In this respect, TNAs can redefine the boundaries of political community.
