This work investigates how international organizations navigate the tension between political agendas and scientific expertise when establishing global norms. The authors, Alexandros Kentikelenis and Leonard Seabrooke, utilize extensive research into the internal operations of major international bodies to argue that the production of knowledge is rarely a neutral process. By examining the interplay between bureaucratic incentives and technical data, they demonstrate how political priorities frequently shape the framing and implementation of global standards.

Experts in international relations recognize this text as a rigorous examination of the sociology of international organizations. Scholars frequently cite the authors' methodology as a standard for analyzing how technical expertise is leveraged in political environments.