Heterarchy and global internet governance: The case of ICANN

How do different micro- and meso-hierarchies operate and compete in global Internet governance? And how do these hierarchies affect state capacity? This chapter seeks to shed light on these issues through a case study of heterarchy in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Known for its multistakeholder approach, ICANN is a prime example of how states have become networked with private actors in transnational policymaking processes. This chapter looks at how different hierarchies operate within ICANN’s multistakeholder model, as well as how ICANN, as a heterarchical institution, is situated within global Internet governance. It argues that state capacity in global Internet governance has been transformed but not necessarily eroded.