ABBOTT, Kenneth, W <br/><br/>
International "standards"and international governance 

 -  2001 
<br/><br/> "Standards" are central mechanisms of international governance, but have different roles in various circumstances. These can be analyzed in terms of a simple typology. One key distinction is analytic: constrasting the Prisoners Dilemma structure of traditional Pigovian externalities with the Coordination struture of network externalities. The second distinction is substantive: contransting physical or technological externalities with externalities that arise in the creation of public  policy. The four resulting circumstances are typically addressed by alternative governance arrangements: varying combinations of private and public governance - accroding to the rspective interests and competencies of the two spheres - and  varying levels of governance - national, regional of global - according to the scope  of the problem and the capacity of institutioions. Our analysis of these choices is equally useful for addressing the ssociated normative question - how should international standards be set? 
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Topical Terms: </label><br/>Externality<br/>Governance<br/>Institutional Analysis<br/>International Law<br/>Private Rule-Making<br/>Standards