Grading the World: The Global Governance Report Card

If, like me, you assume that virtually no transnational challenges can be solved by the United States alone, then you agree that they require multilateral solutions and the engagement of global institutions and a host of other stakeholders including local civil society, the private sector, philanthropic groups and NGOs. Though the phenomenon of global governance is old, serious research into understanding how the world acts collectively to manage and mitigate shared challenges is quite new.

In an effort to evaluate, praise, and name-and-shame how the world is confronting transnational challenges, CFR’s International Institutions and Global Governance (IIGG) has just launched its first ever Global Governance Report Card.  The report card assigns a letter grade for performance in six areas: nuclear nonproliferation, transnational terrorism, climate change, armed conflict, global financial instability, and global public health.  The grades are based upon quantitative measurements, as well as qualitative assessments from over fifty experts within CFR and beyond.  Notably, the report card also gives a grade for “U.S. performance and leadership,” and lists areas for improvement. The evaluations are an inexact science given the complexity of the issues and actors, and will assuredly elicit controversy and disagreements, which is exactly the point. Moreover, it has a compelling design, and is an interesting way to learn more about global governance. So check out the Global Governance Report Card.