Abstract

This study provides evidence that city government participation in global governance networks is explicable by the larger power hierarchy of cities in the global economy. Extant research on city government participation in global governance networks, or “transnational municipal networks (TMNs)” such as United Cities Local Governments, has largely ignored the relevance of research showing city-level connectivity to corporate and other economic networks among world cities. In this latter tradition of research, the level of a city’s connectivity to such economic networks is understood as commensurate with the hierarchical power it holds in the global economy. Using a sample of UK and Chinese cities, this study shows that patterns of participation in a range of TMNs are explained by varied measures of city-level connectivity to economic networks. Interpreted through structuration theory, findings suggest that city participation in global governance is shaped and stratified by city-level hierarchical power within the global economy.

Highlights

  • City governments are increasingly recognised as pivotal to numerous multilateral agendas set to shape the future of international affairs

  • 282 Benjamin Leffel and Michele Acuto and global markets.[2]. Do these two global functions of cities act in isolation, or might there be a more explicit political-economy of city participation in global governance networks? Seeking to link political collaboration to economic networking—two areas often studied separately in both International Relations (IR) and urban studies—we aim with this study to offer some preliminary considerations as to this possible overlap

  • The question of the hypothetical relationship between city government participation in global governance networks and the global city hierarchy can be refined as follows: are cities involved in global governance, represented here by UK and Chinese city memberships in transnational municipal networks (TMNs), positively associated with the global city hierarchy? And is this city government membership in TMNs more strongly associated with the global city hierarchy than it is with UK and Chinese international sister city relationships? This can be tested for by identifying appropriate measures of the global city hierarchy and testing them as independent variables against TMN memberships and sister city relationships as dependent variables, respectively

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Summary

Economic Power Foundations of Cities in Global Governance

To cite this article: Benjamin Leffel & Michele Acuto (2018) Economic Power Foundations of Cities in Global Governance, Global Society, 32:3, 281-301, DOI: 10.1080/13600826.2018.1433130 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/13600826.2018.1433130 Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=cgsj[20] Global Society, 2018 Vol 32, No 3, 281–301, https://doi.org/10.1080/13600826.2018.1433130

BENJAMIN LEFFEL and MICHELE ACUTO
Introduction
Structural Forces and TMNs
Multilevel Governance and City Networks
Testing TMN Participation and Global City Hierarchy
Data and Methods
Triad UK cities Chinese cities Combined
Results and Discussion
Triad TMNs
Conclusion
Full Text
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