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Examining the role of region and elections on representation in the UN Security Council

Author

Listed:
  • Brian Lai

    (University of Iowa)

  • Vanessa A. Lefler

    (Middle Tennessee State University)

Abstract

Do United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members represent states in their geographic regions? Drawing on literature in legislative politics and regional similarities, this manuscript links classic notions of representation - descriptive and substantive - to geographic representation of UN members in the UNSC. However, we argue that the process of getting elected to the UNSC leads to the election of states that are not likely to represent their regions. Using UN General Assembly voting patterns as a proxy for preferences, two sets of analyses test 1) whether, in general, states within the same region have higher levels of General Assembly voting similarity, and 2) if UNSC members possess similar voting patterns with states in their region. The results show that while regional groupings do tend to have higher patterns of vote similarity, this effect is not present when comparing the states voted onto the UNSC with states in their region.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian Lai & Vanessa A. Lefler, 2017. "Examining the role of region and elections on representation in the UN Security Council," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 585-611, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:revint:v:12:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s11558-016-9254-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s11558-016-9254-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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