This volume investigates how the emergence of non-state actors challenges traditional Westphalian concepts of authority and governance within the contemporary global system. The authors, Andreas Bieler, Geoffrey R. D. Underhill, and Richard A. Higgott, utilize a political economy framework to analyze the shifting power dynamics between states, international organizations, and private entities. By examining the erosion of state sovereignty, the text argues that authority is increasingly dispersed across a complex network of public and private institutions. The contributors provide a theoretical and empirical assessment of how these actors influence global policy and economic regulation.

Experts in international political economy identify this work as a significant contribution to the study of global governance structures. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for scholars and advanced students of international relations.