Page 25 - THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE’S ACCOUNTABILITY FOR HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES- A MULTI-METHOD INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ANALYSIS Ryan Gautier

Chapter One – Introduction
identity and its interactions with outside actors, a constructivist theoretical approach is valuable to understanding the IOC.
3.2. Legitimacy
A central interest of international institutions is to exert their influence over other actors— to have other actors comply with their rules. There are several broad methods that an actor can use to create compliance. An actor can use coercion, threatening the use of force, or imposing sanctions. For instance, a state may freeze the assets of a corporation that is under investigation for fraud. An actor can also appeal to self-interest, rewarding compliant behaviour. This may be a monetary reward, for instance. However, these measures come with the risk of defection by the regulated actor. If the actor perceives the threat of coercion as too onerous, or the reward of compliance too low, they may set up another institution, or leave the institution altogether.
A more effective way to attain compliance is to foster a belief that the actor and its rules are legitimate.62 When actors believe another actor and its rules are legitimate, they possess an internal belief that the actor and its rules should be obeyed.63 Just as legitimacy can be created, it can also be diminished. When an actor loses its legitimacy, it also faces a loss of compliance by other actors—in other words, it loses power. To avoid this situation, actors undertake a variety of activities to show to others that they should be seen as legitimate. Chapter Two will discuss the concept of legitimacy in greater detail, and some of the various methods that global governance actors use to foster a belief that they are legitimate. In particular, this dissertation will argue that the IOC has some shortcomings in regards to its legitimacy. Chapters Three through Five will examine the legitimacy of the IOC and of the Olympic Games.
62 ibid 70.
63 Ian Hurd, After Anarchy (Princeton 2007) 30.
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