The Power of Global Performance Indicators

Shows how global ratings and rankings shape political agendas and influence states' behavior, reframing how we think about power.

Judith G. Kelley (Edited by), Beth A. Simmons (Edited by)

9781108487207, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 March 2020

450 pages, 57 b/w illus. 40 tables
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.9 cm, 0.74 kg

'In my list of the best books on global governance, this one about Global Performance Assessments ranks very high. It scores high on all dimensions of a book performance assessment: great and innovative theme, good theoretical grounding, well-executed research, and very interesting findings. It is a Triple-A book.' Michael Zürn, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University

Global performance indicators (GPIs), such as ratings and rankings, permeate nearly every type of human activity, internationally and nationally, across public and private spheres. While some indicators aim to attract media readership or brand the creator's organization, others increasingly seek to influence political practices and policies. The Power of Global Performance Indicators goes beyond the basic questions of methodological validity explored by others to launch a fresh debate about power in the modern age, exploring the ultimate questions concerning real-world consequences of GPIs, both intended and unintended. From business regulation to terrorism, education to foreign aid, Kelley and Simmons demonstrate how GPIs provoke bureaucracies, shape policy agendas, and influence outputs through their influence of third parties such as donors and market actors and, potentially, even broader global authority structures.

1. Introduction: the power of global indicators Judith Kelley and Beth Simmons
Part I. Ratings, Rankings and Regulatory Behavior: 2. The power of ranking: the ease of doing business and global regulatory behavior Rush Doshi, Judith Kelley and Beth Simmons
3. Blacklists, market enforcement, and the global regime to combat terrorist financing Julia C. Morse
4. Power of indicators in global development policy: the millennium development goals Helena Hede Skagerlind
Part II. The Normative Influence of Ratings and Rankings: 5. A race to the top? The aid transparency index and the normative power of global performance indicators Dan Honig and Catherine Weaver
6. International assessments and education policy: evidence from an elite survey Rie Kijima and Phillip Y. Lipscy
7. Reporting matters: performance indicators and compliance in the ILO Faradj Koliev, Thomas Sommerer and Jonas Tallberg
8. Freedom House's scarlet letter: assessment power through transnational pressure Jordan Roberts and Juan Tellez
Part III. Beyond and Within State: Influences and Impacts on Non-state Actors: 9. Can blacklisting reduce terrorist attacks? The case of the US Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) List Hyeran Jo, Brian Phillips and Joshua Alley
10. Assessing international organizations: competition, collaboration, and politics of funding Ranjit Lall
Part IV. Skeptical Voices: Null Results, Unintended Consequences: 11. Third party policymakers and the limits of the influence of indicators Melissa M. Lee and Aila M. Matanock
12. The millennium development goals and education: accountability and substitution in global performance indicators James H. Bisbee, James R. Hollyer, B. Peter Rosendorff and James Raymond Vreeland
13. Conclusion: global performance indicators: themes, findings and an agenda for research Judith Kelley and Beth Simmons.

Subject Areas: International organisations & institutions [LBBU], International relations [JPS], Politics & government [JP]