Overview

The Power to Persuade provides an innovative and eye-opening analysis of strategic arguing as a means of power in global politics. Based on an empirical case study of arguing processes in the World Trade Organization (WTO), the book shows how discursive contexts, institutional norms and procedures, and unequal human resources condition who has the power to persuade. While accounts of arguing in international relations are typically based on a notion of arguing as a power-free mode of interaction oriented towards understanding, Angela Geck shows how such an approach precludes the question of persuasive power. Drawing on in-depth interviews with Geneva diplomats and a document-based analysis of the negotiations on two Doha Round issues, the book examines the practices governing strategic arguing in the WTO and uncovers two sources of persuasive power: firstly, prevalent discourses and connected regime norms empower some actors over others; secondly, their ability to debate is conditioned by exclusionary procedures and unequal human resources. Offering a grounded theory of strategic arguing in trade politics, The Power to Persuade presents a novel analysis of the relationship between arguing and power.

Full Product Details

9781487540692

Table of Contents

Reviews

""A compelling and groundbreaking exploration into the complex dynamics of persuasive power in the WTO. A critical resource for anyone concerned with the politics of the multilateral trading system and global governance more broadly.""--Erin Hannah, Associate Dean of Research and Professor of Politics and International Relations, King's University College at the University of Western Ontario ""Few recent contributions to the political economy of international trade have been genuinely novel. Fewer still have challenged existing ways of thinking about who has the power to negotiate and how that influence is exercised or curtailed. Angela Geck's contribution bucks this trend. Carefully argued and executed, The Power to Persuade casts a fresh eye on once familiar terrain with compelling effect. This is a must read for all interested in the machinations of trade politics.""--Rorden Wilkinson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Professor of International Political Economy, Macquarie University ""A fascinating account of how states use arguing as a way to exert power - and how and when strategic arguing reinforces power asymmetries. The nuanced and empirically rich analysis of arguing processes in the World Trade Organization are a must-read for anyone interested in unpacking the power of persuasion in international politics.""--Clara Weinhardt, Assistant Professor in International Relations, Maastricht University ""At a point when trade scholarship has become overly focused on the US-China rivalry, The Power to Persuade is a timely reminder that we must look beyond simple material power to understand the dynamics of trade negotiations. The analysis is rooted in persuasive power, but Geck is careful to explore the interplay between that and more basic material power, with illustrative case studies. The Power to Persuade provides a very useful contribution to an important field of study.--James Scott, Reader in International Politics, King's College London

"""A compelling and groundbreaking exploration into the complex dynamics of persuasive power in the WTO. A critical resource for anyone concerned with the politics of the multilateral trading system and global governance more broadly.""--Erin Hannah, Associate Dean of Research and Professor of Politics and International Relations, King's University College at the University of Western Ontario ""Few recent contributions to the political economy of international trade have been genuinely novel. Fewer still have challenged existing ways of thinking about who has the power to negotiate and how that influence is exercised or curtailed. Angela Geck's contribution bucks this trend. Carefully argued and executed, The Power to Persuade casts a fresh eye on once familiar terrain with compelling effect. This is a must read for all interested in the machinations of trade politics.""--Rorden Wilkinson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Professor of International Political Economy, Macquarie University ""A fascinating account of how states use arguing as a way to exert power - and how and when strategic arguing reinforces power asymmetries. The nuanced and empirically rich analysis of arguing processes in the World Trade Organization are a must-read for anyone interested in unpacking the power of persuasion in international politics.""--Clara Weinhardt, Assistant Professor in International Relations, Maastricht University ""At a point when trade scholarship has become overly focused on the US-China rivalry, The Power to Persuade is a timely reminder that we must look beyond simple material power to understand the dynamics of trade negotiations. The analysis is rooted in persuasive power, but Geck is careful to explore the interplay between that and more basic material power, with illustrative case studies. The Power to Persuade provides a very useful contribution to an important field of study.--James Scott, Reader in International Politics, King's College London"

Author Information

Angela Geck is a post-doctoral researcher and lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Freiburg.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available