Discriminatory Clubs

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The logic of multilateralism is shaped by discriminatory member selection, akin to social clubs where institutional rules and informal practices allow states to favor allies while excluding rivals. While social clubs may discriminate based on race or socioeconomic status, geopolitical alignment plays a crucial role in determining who participates in global governance. Christina Davis analyzes membership provisions for over three hundred organizations, highlighting the prevalence of club-style selection on the international stage. States often join organizations to strengthen ties with allies and benefit from coordinated policies. Even those claiming universality or targeting specific issues utilize club-style admission criteria. Davis illustrates that in the critical decision of cooperation—who belongs and who doesn't—geopolitical alignment often outweighs the merits or policies of potential members. Through illuminating case studies from nineteenth-century Japan to contemporary Palestine and Taiwan, the work reveals how alliance ties and shared foreign-policy positions underpin cooperation in major global and regional organizations like the WTO and the EU.