Activists beyond borders; advocacy networks in international politics

In their book on the emergence of networks as mode of operation for advocacy groups in international politics Keck and Sikkink deal with central issues of the network structure. They assess the importance of the construction of 'cognitive frames', and of alignment of frames and the fitting of issues appropriately depending on the context. They see the networks as both structured and structuring, with focus on what they call the Boomerang pattern.

The boomerang pattern consists of the following idea that Transnational Advocacy Networks are most likely to emerge around issues where; (i) the channels between domestic groups and their governments are blocked, hampered or inefficient; and where (ii) activists or 'political entrepreneurs' believe that networking will further their missions and campaigns, and actively promote networks; with the third element of (iii) conferences and other forms of international contact that create arenas for forming and strengthening networks.

The authors also assess the number of complications and tensions that might be related to the operation of these networks. Furthermore they also look at the different kinds of methods used by the networks, grouping them in four; a) information politics b) symbolic politics c) leverage politics d) accountability politics.