Divided Nations: Why Global Governance Is Failing, and What We Can Do About It

A quick scan of the international news is enough to convince anyone of Goldin's (globalization & development, Univ. of Oxford, UK; former vice president, World Bank; Exceptional People) claims that our current institutions of global governance are out of date. He maintains that the UN, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank are unable to deal effectively with many of the most pressing global issues. Goldin argues that in our "hyper-connected age," events that would have once triggered a localized emergency now can create a global crisis. Chief among the challenging phenomena are climate change, migration, the possibility of global pandemics, continued financial troubles, and cybersecurity threats. Given his previous connection to the World Bank, the author is well aware that issues of state sovereignty and short-term pain for long-term gain are complicating factors for any organization attempting to tackle these issues. Yet he believes that just as the UN developed after World War II to solve the pressing issues of the day, so too will our political institutions evolve or new governance structures emerge to meet ongoing challenges.