Die Welthandelsorganisation (WTO) und demokratische Legitimität

The WTO has often been criticised for its lack of democratic legitimacy. Benjamin von Engelhardt offers a new perspective which starts with the general assumption that democratic legitimacy means states have to justify their actions not only to their own citizens, but to everybody else affected by them. The question then is: how can states justify national actions affecting foreigners? Federally-minded cosmopolitans would suggest the need for a global state encompassing everyone possibly affected. The WTO can be understood as an alternative solution, banning external effects while allowing regulation to remain at a national level. This approach is evident in WTO arbitration and may serve as rule of interpretation.