Public Opinion and the Legitimacy of Global Private EnvironmentalGovernance

FabianG. Neuner

Global Environmental Politics, 2020, vol. 20, issue 1, 60-81

Abstract: The rise of global private environmental governance has inspired substantialresearch assessing whether organizations like the International Organization forStandardization (ISO) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) are legitimate.These organizations address global challenges and help overcome collectiveaction problems, but public opposition can severely curb their effectiveness.Yet, we do not know whether the public supports such organizations and perceivesthem as legitimate. This article draws on diverse political science literaturesto outline why a focus on public opinion is important. The article tests twocompeting arguments explaining potential opposition toward organizations likethe ISO and the FSC: accounts centered on the role of sincere preferences overthe legitimate locus of authority and on the influence of domestic eliterhetoric. Results suggest that public opinion is generally positive and thatelite rhetoric about a potential democratic deficit rather than simpleinformation about the bodies’ governance structures decreasesfavorability.

Date: 2020
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