From interdependence to asymmetry: The Politics of Effectiveness in International Organizations.

IOs are often understood to be necessitated by the uncertainty that is a consequence of anarchy and externalities that are a consequence of interdependence. That many IOs are designed to alleviate asymmetries in development and security among states is less prominent in the literature. I look specifically at IOs mandated to alleviate and lessen the consequences of asymmetries existing in the international system and ask what factors influence IO performance in their role as agents. I investigate the disjuncture between understanding effectiveness as occurring at the cooperation level (among principals, often donor countries), and the domestic level (in recipient countries). I argue that how effectiveness is understood is a political question and its resolution has important consequences for how IOs exercise their authority as agents. Specifically, it influences how IO priorities are set, how oversight mechanisms are designed, and finally, who benefits from IO actions. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]