Democratic Deficit, the Global Trade System and 11 September

Abstract

This short paper examines the Howard government's engagement with the World Trade Organization through the prism of two events: the S11 anti-globalisation protests and the 11 September terrorist attacks against the United States. Several policy dilemmas are highlighted including: concerns about the accountability and legitimacy of global political institutions (democratic deficit); the government's reluctance to expand public participation in trade policy-making; and the preference for bilateral rather than multilateral trade agreements. Together these developments have undermined Australia's commitment to multilateralism and a "rules-based" system for international trade, and have subjected Australia to the asymmetries of power that were traditionally mitigated by global political institutions.