What Leads International Organizations in Latin America to be Active or Paralyzed? a Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This article seeks to identify the conditions that lead Latin American International Organizations (IOs) to remain active or to paralize. It surveys various elements identified by IO literature that accounts for the IOs activity/paralysis and applies Qualitative Comparative Analysis to search for configurations that explain the outcomes. By exploring 31 IOs in the Americas, the analysis shows that adequate staff is crucial for an IO to maintain regular activities in the region. High-quality staff and large teams are sufficient to keep regular operations, with the possible tradeoff either by restricting IOs’ scope or having a high number of member states. Conversely, we found that a more complex combination of institutional features and external aspects is needed for Latin American IOs to paralyze. Small teams and diminished political autonomy combined with low levels of statehood and member states that contest the organizations proved to be a consistent path to drive IOs not to operate regularly.