Activity 1 - Do we need global governance?

Activity Tasks
  1. Watch - Watch this TedEx video about the global commons and discuss the following questions:
    1. What is defined as the commons?
    2. How is management of the commons problematic?
    3. What are features of the tragedy of the commons?
    4. How would this make governance more difficult?
  2. Read - Read this article from Geopolitical Futures. Do you agree that the internet should be regulated more? 
  3. Discuss - From what you have learnt so far, to what extent do you feel that the world needs more governance?

Activity 2 - What is global governance?

Activity Tasks
  1. Think/Pair/Share - What is global governance? On your own try to define the concept. Share your ideas with a partner and then with the class. 
  2. Examine - Examine Slide 3 of the Lesson Presentation here. Now re-write your definition. With a partner, try to describe what global governance is.
  3. Discuss - Now read the notes on Slide 4. With a partner, discuss why you think global governance is important to study. Do you agree that it is an important concept for understanding global politics?
  4. Identify - Record details of the five key features of global governance in your notes. Can you give a real world example to illustrate each of the five key features? Try thinking of a specific IGO we could apply this to.
  5. Evaluate - Examine the four alternative models of a global system on Slides 6-7. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each global system? Which one describes best our current world system?

Activity 3 - How has governance evolved?

Activity Tasks
  1. Discuss - What do you think causes and drives the growth of global governance? What creates the need for it? Try to write down three or more real world events or processes that might be driving the growth of global governance. 
  2. Review - Read and make notes from Slides 8-10 on the Lesson Presentation. For each of the three institutions of the Bretton Woods system, conduct some research and record at least five key facts about the role of each one. 
  3. Watch - Watch this YouTube video to review what you have learnt about the Bretton Woods System. Then watch this video. To what extent did you think development of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will compliment or compete with the US-led global governance system?

Activity 4 - What stops better governance?

Activity Tasks
  1. Watch - Watch this TEDx video by Professor David Held. According to Held, with is global governance failing and what should be done to stop it. 
  2. Identify - Now watch this video, again by Professor Held. What are the three core challenges that global governance faces.
  3. Discuss - In your opinion, what can be done to help support global governance institutions? Does it need reforming, changing, or even replacing?

Activity 5 - Is it a myth or reality?

Activity Tasks
  1. Explore - Read and make notes on the four different theoretical perspectives on global governance from Slides 11-12 of the Lesson Presentation.
  2. Discuss - Which theoretical perspective do you agree with the most? Which seems the most plausible? Which seems the least plausible? ​
    1. Realism
    2. Liberalism
    3. Critical Theories (Social Constructivism/Marxism)

Case Study: The Paris Climate Agreement

Activity Tasks
  1. Groups - Divide into five groups. Each group will examine one of the following sources to find out more about the Paris Climate Agreement:
    1. Slaughter, A. (2020). Why the Paris Agreement is a model for 21st century global governance. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
    2. Berwyn, B. (2020). Trump's Paris Decision Is a Challenge to Global Governance. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
    3. The Climate Institute. (2015). The Paris climate agreement and implications for Australia. Sydney: The Climate Institute. 
    4. The United Nations. The Paris Agreement. (2020). 
    5. Global Governance Institute. (2016). Climate Governance after the Paris Agreement: Workshop Report (pp. 1-19). London: UCL CGI. 
  2. Mind Map - Using Padlet, create a class mind-map exploring the Paris Climate Agreement as a case study of global governance, adding details from each of the five sources.
  3. Review - Using your finished mind-map, review the following questions as a class:
    1. What was the agreement?
    2. Who are the signatories?
    3. Why is it an example of global governance in action?
    4. How does the US decision to withdraw from the agreement threaten the agreement?
    5. Does this show that global governance agreements are more effective than states acting unilaterally to solve problems?

Further Reading

OBLIGATORY READING
  1. Kirsch, M. (2017). Oxford IB Diploma Programme: Global Politics Course Companion, pp. 28-35
  2. Murphy, R. & Gleek, C. (2016). Pearson Baccalaureate: Global Politics, pp. 24-26
RECOMMENDED READING
  1. Heywood, A. (2011). Global Politics, pp. 454-479
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
  1. Jinghua, L. (2020). Three Lessons China Has Learned About Global Governance. Retrieved 4 February 2020, from https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/09/25/three-lessons-china-has-learned-about-global-governance-pub-79929

Y7-9 MYP

Y7 Humanities
Y8 Humanities
Y9 Explorations

Y10-11 IGCSE

IGCSE Global Perspectives
Global Politics & Debate
MUN

Y12-13 IBDP