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Solving the Collective Action Problem - A Comparative Study of the Climate and Trade Policy Processes

Beckvid Tranchell, Fredrik LU and Kassem, Joe-Philipp LU (2012) STVA21 20112
Department of Political Science
Abstract (Swedish)
It is the purpose of this essay to compare the trade policy process with the climate policy process within a collective action framework in order to determine differences and similarities. With the recognition that the trade process has been more successful in mitigating the Prisoner’s Dilemma this comparison provides lessons for the climate process. The study is conducted through an analysis of how the processes compare with respect to iterated games, group size, monitoring and compliance and finds that some significant differences exist. The differences can be said to embody two different approaches to international governance. The trade process, on the one hand, can be characterised by a building blocks approach where a... (More)
It is the purpose of this essay to compare the trade policy process with the climate policy process within a collective action framework in order to determine differences and similarities. With the recognition that the trade process has been more successful in mitigating the Prisoner’s Dilemma this comparison provides lessons for the climate process. The study is conducted through an analysis of how the processes compare with respect to iterated games, group size, monitoring and compliance and finds that some significant differences exist. The differences can be said to embody two different approaches to international governance. The trade process, on the one hand, can be characterised by a building blocks approach where a non-comprehensive agreement has evolved into an effective international organisation. The climate process, on the other hand, is characterised by a grand bargain where a comprehensive single undertaking approach has been unsuccessfully attempted, thus leading to a breakdown of trust and an ineffective regime. The lesson is thus to rethink the climate process and attempt a building blocks approach to solve the collective action problem. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Beckvid Tranchell, Fredrik LU and Kassem, Joe-Philipp LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVA21 20112
year
type
L2 - 2nd term paper (old degree order)
subject
keywords
Collective Action, Prisoner’s Dilemma, International Policy Processes GATT, UNFCCC
language
English
id
2276660
date added to LUP
2012-02-17 10:41:05
date last changed
2012-02-17 10:41:05
@misc{2276660,
  abstract     = {{It is the purpose of this essay to compare the trade policy process with the climate policy process within a collective action framework in order to determine differences and similarities. With the recognition that the trade process has been more successful in mitigating the Prisoner’s Dilemma this comparison provides lessons for the climate process. The study is conducted through an analysis of how the processes compare with respect to iterated games, group size, monitoring and compliance and finds that some significant differences exist. The differences can be said to embody two different approaches to international governance. The trade process, on the one hand, can be characterised by a building blocks approach where a non-comprehensive agreement has evolved into an effective international organisation. The climate process, on the other hand, is characterised by a grand bargain where a comprehensive single undertaking approach has been unsuccessfully attempted, thus leading to a breakdown of trust and an ineffective regime. The lesson is thus to rethink the climate process and attempt a building blocks approach to solve the collective action problem.}},
  author       = {{Beckvid Tranchell, Fredrik and Kassem, Joe-Philipp}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Solving the Collective Action Problem - A Comparative Study of the Climate and Trade Policy Processes}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}