International public administration and politics

Abstract

This chapter provides an introduction to the role and influence of International Public Administration (IPAs) in the politics of International (Governmental) Organizations (IOs). IPAs, i.e., the secretariats of IO, are the institutional backbone of global governance and play an essential part in the fight against transboundary problems such as pandemics, pollution and conflict. Starting from the perspective of IOs as political-administrative systems, the chapter focuses on the policy influence of IPAs as corporate actors within this system. It will present empirical findings and genuine interview material to illustrate how structure and agency of IPAs determine IO politics. While structure refers to the organization's internal set-up that provides IPAs with a potential room of maneuver, agency denotes international bureaucrats goal orientations and influence strategies. Together, these two perspectives provide the reader with a comprehensive picture of how IPAs can influence politics and policy of IOs. The chapter shows that Public Administration as a means of legitimate political rule is not limited to the realm of the nation state. Like in domestic contexts, the right balance between administration and politics is key: while IPA influence is a central feature in the search for effective solutions to transboundary problems, too much of it may prove detrimental for the implementation of these solutions.