The Closure of the International System: How International Institutions Create Political Equalities and Hierarchies

About this event

As global governance appears to become more inclusive and democratic, many scholars argue that international institutions act as motors of expansion and democratization. This talk, based on The Closure of the International System, challenges this view, arguing that the history of the international system is a series of institutional closures, and that a core purpose of institutions such as diplomacy, international law, and international organizations is to legitimate a stratified system of political equals and unequals.

Lora Anne Viola is Professor of Political Science at the Freie Universität Berlin and Chair of the Politics Department at the FU's John F. Kennedy Institute. She received her PhD and MA degrees from the University of Chicago and her BA from Columbia University. Her research interests include international relations theory, the development of international organizations, historical institutionalism, diplomacy, and US foreign policy. Her work has been the recipient of numerous awards, including ECPR's Hedley Bull Prize, ISA's Chadwick Alger Award, ISA’s Diplomatic Studies Best Book Award, and APSA’s Alexander George Award.

*This event will take place on Zoom. The link to Zoom session is in the confirmation email, which registrants will receive.