Ideological Structure and Membership in International Institutions

Abstract

This chapter shows that ideological divisions shape how states sort into intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). During the Cold War, communist states for the most part stayed out of the core IGOs that defined the liberal order. Since the end of the Cold War, states all over the ideological spectrum have joined IGOs, but there has been considerable ideological sorting into IGOs and alliances. Global ideological orientations have implications for economic, cultural, human rights, security, and other issues. Thus, positioning on an ideological dimension can shape sorting into a wide variety of institutions. The chapter then compares the implications of the spatial approach to an alternative way of conceptualizing and measuring the structure underlying IGO memberships: network analysis.