Abstract

Global governance is increasingly complex, with international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) emerging as key actors influencing both states and international organizations. However, evaluating the influence of INGOs requires an accurate measurement of their numbers and global distribution. This study documents the extent and nature of missingness in the leading data source on INGOs: the Yearbook of International Organizations. It finds that, at minimum, 60% of INGOs working on humanitarianism (the largest issue area) and 90% of INGOs headquartered in the United States (the largest country) are missing. The Yearbook is more likely to include INGOs based in wealthy, democratic, and English-speaking countries and that participate in the United Nations. These findings show how political scientists' understanding of INGOs and other global governance actors is biased by reliance on the Yearbook. They also speak to ongoing debates about the under-representation of voices from the Global South in global governance and transnational advocacy.

Recommended Citation

Bush, Sarah Sunn, Jennifer Hadden, and Melissa Pavlik. 2024. "Mind the Gaps: Unseen Organizations in Global Governance." Working Paper.

Notes

Presented at Political Economy of International Organizations (PEIO), 2024; Virtual International Political Economy Seminar (VIPES), 2024; and American Political Science Association (APSA), 2024. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation.