Island School Global Politics
  • Home
  • Explorations
  • MUN
    • ISMUN Blog
  • IBDP Global Politics
    • Pre-IB Course >
      • 1. What is global politics?
      • 2. How is the course assessed?
      • 3. How can we analyse global politics?
      • 4. What political issues do I care about?
      • 5-7. Case Study: What does COVID-19 reveal about global politics?
      • 8. How can I prepare for studying global politics?
    • Unit 1: Power, Sovereignty and International Relations >
      • 1. What is the nature of power? >
        • 1. What is power?
        • 2. How does realism define power?
        • 3. How does liberalism define power?
        • 4. How do critical theories define power?
        • 5. Assessment: Which theory best explains power?
      • 2. How has state power evolved? >
        • 1. How did the nation state emerge?
        • 2. What is sovereignty?
        • 3. How is state sovereignty challenged today?
        • 4. What is the 'social contract'?
        • 5. What gives state power its legitimacy?
        • 6. Assessment: What type of states are more legitimate?
      • 3. Can other groups influence the power of the state? >
        • 1. How much power do IGOs have over states?
        • 2. Are NGOs insignificant global actors?
        • 3. How effective are social movements?
        • 4. How do resistance movements operate?
        • 5. Are political parties legitimate actors?
        • 6. Do informal forums undermine democracy?
        • 7. Assessment: How effective are other groups?
      • 4. Can global interactions improve the world? >
        • 1. Does global governance work?
        • 2. What role do treaties play?
        • 3. Does collective security work?
        • 4. Do alliances reduce or increase tensions?
        • 5. Does economic cooperation lead to interdependence?
        • 6. Is informal cooperation more effective?
        • 7. What drives modern conflicts?
        • 8. Is terrorism a reaction to globalisation?
        • 9. Can domestic conflicts influence global politics?
        • 10: Assessment: Can global interactions improve the world?
      • Unit 1: Exam Questions
    • Unit 2: Human Rights >
      • 1. How have Human Rights evolved? >
        • 1. What are human rights?
        • 2. How significant is the UDHR?
        • 3. How have human rights developed?
        • 4. Assessment: Are human rights a Western construct?
      • 2. Who or what protects our Human Rights? >
        • 1. How do states enforce human rights?
        • 2. Is international monitoring effective?
        • 3. Who enforces humanitarian law?
        • 4. How can civil society help monitor human rights?
        • 5. Assessment: Who should be responsible for human rights?
      • 3. How do Human Rights operate in practice? >
        • 1. Who makes claims on human rights?
        • 2. How are human rights contested locally?
        • 3. How are human rights contested nationally?
        • 4. How are human rights contested globally?
        • 5. Assessment: Does current human rights practice ensure equality?
      • 4. Why are Human Rights so contested? >
        • 1. Are collective rights more important?
        • 2. Are human rights universal?
        • 3. Are human rights too politicised?
        • 4. Assessment: How should we view human rights?
      • Unit 2: Exam Questions
    • Unit 3: Development >
      • 1. Why is development contested?
      • 2. How can development be helped or hindered?
      • 3. Can globalisation help increase development?
      • 4. Can development be made more sustainable?
    • Unit 4: Peace and Conflict >
      • 1. Is the use of violence ever justified? >
        • 1. What is peace, conflict and violence?
        • 2. What forms can conflict take?
        • 3. Is it right to ever go to war?
        • 4. Assessment: On what grounds can violence be justified?
      • 2. What causes conflicts to develop?
      • 3. How do conflicts evolve over time?
      • 4. Can peace be achieved by managing conflicts?
      • Unit 4: Exam Questions
    • HL Extension: Global Political Challenges >
      • Topic 1: Environment
      • Topic 2: Poverty
      • Topic 3: Health
      • Topic 4: Identity
      • Topic 5: Borders
      • Topic 6: Security
    • EA: Engagement Activity
    • EE: Extended Essay in Global Politics
    • News Blog
    • Research Links
  • More

1. How much power do IGOs have over states?

Activity 1 - What do you know already?


Activity Tasks
  1. Think, Puzzle, Explore - With a partner, examine the statement of inquiry and topic concepts on Slide 2 of the Lesson Presentation. Discuss the following questions in your pair and note down some ideas on this worksheet:
    1. What do you think you know about this topic?
    2. What questions or puzzles do you have?
    3. How can you explore this topic? 
  2. Mind-map - Place the statement of inquiry in the centre of the map and then brainstorm with a partner what you already know about the statement.
Picture

Activity 2 - What are IGOs?


Activity Tasks
  1. Define - With a partner, discuss what you think an ‘Intergovernmental Organisation’ is and write a definition.
  2. Recall - In three minutes, make a list of as many IGOs as you can think of. How many can you get?
  3. Review - Review the information on Slide 3 of the Lesson Presentation and add these details to your definitions.

Activity 3 - Why do states join IGOs?


Activity Tasks
  1. Discuss - What benefits do you think states get from joining international organisations?
  2. Discuss - What do you think are the negative impacts on states from joining international organizations?
  3. ​Debate - Review the different theoretical positions on why intergovernmental organisations form. As a class, debate the question, ‘To what extent are IGOs merely instruments of state power?’

Activity 4 - What types of IGOs are there?


Activity Tasks
  1. Sort - Review the list of IGOs that you explored in Activity 2. Now sort the IGOs according to their type - economic, political, security, hybrid or regional. 
  2. Discuss - What are the most common type of IGOs in the world today? Why might that be? What does that suggest about the international system?
  3. Examine - Consider the United Nations. What type of intergovernmental organization is it?

Activity 5 - How do theorists view IGOs?


Activity Tasks
  1. Explore - Examine and take notes on the different theoretical positions that theorists take on IGOs from Slides 10-13 of the Lesson Presentation.
  2. Reflect - From what you know about IGOs so far, which theoretical position do you take on them?
  3. Question - What questions do you still have about IGOs?

Activity 6 - How can we analyse IGOs?


Activity Tasks
  1. Group - Form into groups of 2-3 students. Each group will investigate a different intergovernmental organisation. More details can be found on this worksheet. Choose between:
    1. The United Nations (UN)
    2. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
    3. International Monetary Fund (IMF)
    4. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
    5. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
    6. Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
    7. European Union (EU)
    8. African Union (AU)
    9. Arab League
    10. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
  2. Research - Each group needs to research the following key questions about their IGO:
    1. Aims - what is the purpose of the IGO? values?
    2. Membership - who is/isn’t a member? who leads?
    3. Authority - what decision making authority does the organisation have?
    4. Function - what bodies and agencies comprise it?
    5. Impact - how effective is the organisation?
    6. Case Study - how has the IGO responded to the South China Sea crisis? 
  3. Presentation - Use your research to create a 3-5 minute presentation to the class. It must be in a form that can be shared with others so they can learn from. Each presentation will be graded informally using this rubric.

Further Reading


OBLIGATORY READING
  1. Kirsch, M. (2017). Oxford IB Diploma Programme: Global Politics Course Companion, pp. 22-23
  2. Murphy, R. & Gleek, C. (2016). Pearson Baccalaureate: Global Politics, pp. 20-24
RECOMMENDED READING
  1. Heywood, A. (2011). Global Politics, pp. 432-453 (UN), 465-469 (IMF), 468-470 (WB), 470-473 (WTO), 489-492 (ASEAN), 491-493 (AU), 494-505 (EU)
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
  1. Norley, M. (2019). Is the United Nations an Effective Institution?. Retrieved 12 November 2019, from https://www.e-ir.info/2013/02/23/is-the-united-nations-an-effective-institution/

BACK TO TOPIC 3 MENU
NEXT LESSON - ARE NGOs INSIGNIFICANT GLOBAL ACTORS?

Y7-9 MYP

Y7 Humanities
Y8 Humanities
Y9 Explorations

Y10-11 IGCSE

IGCSE Global Perspectives
Global Politics & Debate
MUN

Y12-13 IBDP

Pre-IB Course
HL Extension
​EA Coursework
EE GP
News Blog
​
Research Links
  • Home
  • Explorations
  • MUN
    • ISMUN Blog
  • IBDP Global Politics
    • Pre-IB Course >
      • 1. What is global politics?
      • 2. How is the course assessed?
      • 3. How can we analyse global politics?
      • 4. What political issues do I care about?
      • 5-7. Case Study: What does COVID-19 reveal about global politics?
      • 8. How can I prepare for studying global politics?
    • Unit 1: Power, Sovereignty and International Relations >
      • 1. What is the nature of power? >
        • 1. What is power?
        • 2. How does realism define power?
        • 3. How does liberalism define power?
        • 4. How do critical theories define power?
        • 5. Assessment: Which theory best explains power?
      • 2. How has state power evolved? >
        • 1. How did the nation state emerge?
        • 2. What is sovereignty?
        • 3. How is state sovereignty challenged today?
        • 4. What is the 'social contract'?
        • 5. What gives state power its legitimacy?
        • 6. Assessment: What type of states are more legitimate?
      • 3. Can other groups influence the power of the state? >
        • 1. How much power do IGOs have over states?
        • 2. Are NGOs insignificant global actors?
        • 3. How effective are social movements?
        • 4. How do resistance movements operate?
        • 5. Are political parties legitimate actors?
        • 6. Do informal forums undermine democracy?
        • 7. Assessment: How effective are other groups?
      • 4. Can global interactions improve the world? >
        • 1. Does global governance work?
        • 2. What role do treaties play?
        • 3. Does collective security work?
        • 4. Do alliances reduce or increase tensions?
        • 5. Does economic cooperation lead to interdependence?
        • 6. Is informal cooperation more effective?
        • 7. What drives modern conflicts?
        • 8. Is terrorism a reaction to globalisation?
        • 9. Can domestic conflicts influence global politics?
        • 10: Assessment: Can global interactions improve the world?
      • Unit 1: Exam Questions
    • Unit 2: Human Rights >
      • 1. How have Human Rights evolved? >
        • 1. What are human rights?
        • 2. How significant is the UDHR?
        • 3. How have human rights developed?
        • 4. Assessment: Are human rights a Western construct?
      • 2. Who or what protects our Human Rights? >
        • 1. How do states enforce human rights?
        • 2. Is international monitoring effective?
        • 3. Who enforces humanitarian law?
        • 4. How can civil society help monitor human rights?
        • 5. Assessment: Who should be responsible for human rights?
      • 3. How do Human Rights operate in practice? >
        • 1. Who makes claims on human rights?
        • 2. How are human rights contested locally?
        • 3. How are human rights contested nationally?
        • 4. How are human rights contested globally?
        • 5. Assessment: Does current human rights practice ensure equality?
      • 4. Why are Human Rights so contested? >
        • 1. Are collective rights more important?
        • 2. Are human rights universal?
        • 3. Are human rights too politicised?
        • 4. Assessment: How should we view human rights?
      • Unit 2: Exam Questions
    • Unit 3: Development >
      • 1. Why is development contested?
      • 2. How can development be helped or hindered?
      • 3. Can globalisation help increase development?
      • 4. Can development be made more sustainable?
    • Unit 4: Peace and Conflict >
      • 1. Is the use of violence ever justified? >
        • 1. What is peace, conflict and violence?
        • 2. What forms can conflict take?
        • 3. Is it right to ever go to war?
        • 4. Assessment: On what grounds can violence be justified?
      • 2. What causes conflicts to develop?
      • 3. How do conflicts evolve over time?
      • 4. Can peace be achieved by managing conflicts?
      • Unit 4: Exam Questions
    • HL Extension: Global Political Challenges >
      • Topic 1: Environment
      • Topic 2: Poverty
      • Topic 3: Health
      • Topic 4: Identity
      • Topic 5: Borders
      • Topic 6: Security
    • EA: Engagement Activity
    • EE: Extended Essay in Global Politics
    • News Blog
    • Research Links
  • More