Pump up the volume: from covert to overt politics in global governance

Recent commentary on the state of multilateralism begins from an alarming premise: a popular backlash against globalization is underway. The prospects for multilateralism depend, by this account, on shielding global governance from the forces of mass politics. We challenge this conventional account to develop a novel conceptual framework for the mass politics of global governance and the role of contestation in resolving, rather than inciting, the present crisis of multilateralism. We distinguish between two modes of mass politics—covert and overt—and examine variation in (i) mass preferences, (ii) party strategies, and (iii) international organization between them. Building on this framework, we make the case for a shift from the current covert mode to a more overt politics of global governance that could make the multilateral system more effective, accountable, and legitimate. Concrete steps in this direction will accommodate broader political forces while defanging challenges from opportunistic political leaders. We conclude with an outline of pragmatic reforms to reinvigorate multilateralism for the post-pandemic era.