Introduction

World leaders were troubled in the early 1900s. The Great Depression (1929-1939) and the Second World War happened. The world was unstable. Many were poor. The leaders wanted solutions.

Several new institutions were created. An institution is an organized social structure. It is often complex and long- lasting. Institutions affect how communities are organized. They influence behavior, customs, and laws. In this case, leaders wanted to create institutions that would help networks of people.

Did these institutions influence the world? And if so, how?

A world government? The development of political institutions

The League of Nations formed in 1918. It was meant to prevent another world war. But in 1943, World War II peaked. The League clearly failed. Global leaders wanted a new, similar institution. So, in 1945, they formed the United Nations (UN).

All UN member nations had a duty: to come together as an international community. They had to fight aggressive behavior. Doing so would keep the world safer overall, they believed. One of the UN’s tools to prevent conflict is its court. It’s called the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in the Netherlands. The Court works to solve disputes between member states.¹ It also advises the United Nations’ various agencies.

The United Nations aims to protect global health and human rights. Several measures were put in place. One was the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It set standards for human rights. It also seeks fair treatment of women and children. Another example was the World Health Organization (WHO). This agency works for worldwide public health.

The UN aims for a healthier, fairer, and more peaceful world. Some try to describe the UN as a “world government.” But it’s quite different. The UN is not like an independent nation. It cannot punish its citizens. Instead, it must use influence. Treaties, monitoring, and special procedures are examples.

Has the United Nations met these goals? Its language of rights has. People shifted how they think about individuals, citizens, and states.

Has the United Nations ended conflict? How about human rights abuses? No. Violence and corruption still exist. But does the evidence show that violence has lowered overall? Who has been helped the most by these rulings? We can answer these questions in a few different ways. One can consider human rights reports. We can also look at changes in population and death rates. The shifts are certainly occurring. Still, it’s trickier to figure out what’s causing them.

Globalizing trade: the economic institutions

After World War II, many leaders were also worried about economic instability and poverty. After the Great Depression, businesses worldwide struggled. Even before the war ended in 1944, some leaders met in the United States. They wanted more rules for the global economy.

After the meetings, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was formed. So was the World Bank.

Originally the groups tried to protect employment. They wanted to keep high living standards. They also wanted to keep trade balanced. Specific countries shouldn’t rule over trade, they said. Both institutions wanted to help member countries. The goal was to develop their resources and productive powers.

The idea was that they would help member states share risk, resources, and information. Each state put money into the project. They would get more or less voting power depending on how much they spent. This non-political style was important. Member states wanted to avoid nationalist policies. In nationalism, countries only look out for their own interests. Instead, these institutions brought more cooperation. The IMF, for example, gave loans to poorer, developing countries. These helped cover trade deficits (shortages). The World Bank made huge investments. It helped relieve debt and reconstruction projects. Europe it helped in particular.

Over time, the original goals changed. The goal became to open up markets around the world. This idea is called economic liberalization. The belief is that rules on trade can be harmful. Global markets, some say, are held back by the rules. Open markets mean trade networks could operate more freely. The World Trade Organization (WTO) greatly pushed for liberalization. It was created in 1995.

How did these institutions change the world? Soon, the global markets did grow more connected. Broad networks were formed. Money and investment moved much more easily. These institutions also helped manage financial meltdowns.

Non-Governmental Institutions

Now let’s look at international non-governmental organizations (INGOs). From the 1800s, INGOs have fought global health problems and poverty. The International Committee of the Red Cross is an example. Oxfam International is another. More recently, human rights advocacy organizations have had an effect. They allowed many more people see themselves as part of an international community.

Creating this shared belief in common action can be effective. It can create a powerful feeling of connectedness. INGOs² like Amnesty International have called attention to abuses. They have deemed certain acts of violence as war crimes.

Some conclusions

The world is now very connected. International political and economic institutions influenced that. So did NGOs.

But these connections have not always been even. Some haven’t worked long. Some have been hurtful. There’s another side effect of these groups pushing economic liberalization: fewer social protections. Some countries have gotten debt relief or loans from global institutions. However, first, the countries are often forced to reduce social protections for citizens. Healthcare would be an example. Altogether, these changes have created more sameness on a global scale. That could be bad or good. It depends on several details.

1 A state is any region with its own government. A nation, meanwhile, has that and a population who unified in many ways. For example: culturally, socially, economically, ancestrally, etc.
2 When a non-governmental institution does not deal with international issues, it’s just called NGO. But very often, people say NGO when they are actually talking about INGOs. The Red Cross and Amnesty International are examples.