Who is the Dominant Actor in International Politics?.
In 1990, the number of non-governmental organizations totaled about 9,000 (Non-Governmental Order). Today, that number is at 26,000, while other larger numbers are floating around, such as about 44,000 (Stein). Non-governmental organizations are becoming the key players in all areas of politics, including international relations. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are rising in power over not only the state actors, but also the intergovernmental organizations in the world, such as the United Nations and the World Bank. As the power of NGOs over international politics continues to rise, both negative and positive consequences are sure to arise, spawning from both their intentions and their often narrow-mindedness. While the governments in the world still have the final say as to what goes on, the NGOs of today are always on the minds of Congress members by applying pressure to get what they want.
In the early 1960s, Pope John XXIII's criticism of an authoritarian regime during the Vatican II council helped lead to the democratization of Spain in 1976 (University of Durham). A great amount of pressure was put on King Juan Carlos to reform the state's government. The action he took probably would not have if it were not for the Catholic Church. That was nearly thirty years ago when Spain responded to the pressures created by a non-governmental organization. Today, NGOs are still pressuring states into making decisions not just concerning domestic affairs, but also international ones. While cases like Vatican II do not happen much today, NGOs as a whole have become not only greater in numbers but also stronger. .
Where diplomats from states meet to negotiate deals with one another, non-governmental organizations are also likely to be found. When states like Mexico and the United States attempt to make a behind-closed-doors deal, NGOs will ensure they know what is going on (Mathews).
