* An exploration of questions of crucial importance to the creation of a legitimate system of global governance. * Written by a group of prominent international scholars and experts of global governance. * Provides a comprehensive analysis of major arenas of global decision--making.

Notes on Contributors. 1. Introduction: David Held and Mathias Koenig-Archibugi. 2. Defining Accountability Up: the Global Economic Multilaterals: Miles Kahler. 3. Disaggregated Sovereignty: Towards the Public Accountability of Global Government Networks: Anne-Marie Slaughter. 4. Multisectoral Networks in Global Governance: Towards a Pluralistic System of Accountability: Thorsten Benner, Wolfgang H. Reinicke and Jan Martin Witte. 5. Civil Society and Democratically Accountable Global Governance: Jan Aart Scholte. 6. Transnational Corporations and Public Accountability: Mathias Koenig-Archibugi. 7. Global Governance and Legitimacy Problems: Michael Zürn. 8. Global Governance and Communicative Action: Thomas Risse. 9. Global Governance, Participation and the Public Sphere: Patrizia Nanz and Jens Steffek. 10. Is there a 'Democratic Deficit' in World Politics? A Framework for Analysis: Andrew Moravcsik. 11. Democratic Accountability and Political Effectiveness from a Cosmopolitan Perspective: David Held. Index.

This volume brings together prominent scholars from the fields of politics and international relations in order to explore questions of crucial importance to the creation of a viable and legitimate system of global governance.

"This excellent volume raises serious analytical and normative questions of public accountability challenges posed by innovations in global governance, and it provides sophisticated, non-ideological answers. It marks an important contribution to the debate." John Gerard Ruggie, Harvard University