The dynamics of de‐delegation: A principal–agent explanation of the reversal of private authority in international sport governance
| Published date | 01 March 2021 |
| Author | Arnout Geeraert,Edith Drieskens |
| Date | 01 March 2021 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12668 |
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The dynamics of de-delegation: A principal–agent
explanation of the reversal of private authority in
international sport governance
Arnout Geeraert
1,2
| Edith Drieskens
2
1
Utrecht School of Governance, Utrecht
University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
2
Leuven International and European Studies,
KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Correspondence
Arnout Geeraert, Utrecht School of
Governance, Utrecht University,
Bijlhouwerstraat 6, 3511 ZC Utrecht, The
Netherlands.
Email: a.n.p.geeraert@uu.nl
Abstract
What explains the reversal of transnational private rule-
making authority? Embedding constructivist insights within
a rational principal–agent model, this article advances a
five-step sequential process that nuances the traditional
explanation of delegitimation. It argues that entrepreneurs
must first successfully promote the belief that the high
costs of ineffective private policies follow from the private
rule-setter's flawed institutional attributes. Subsequently, a
de-delegation solution that minimizes transaction and
uncertainty costs must be proposed. The examination of
two cases in the field of international sport governance,
namely the deliberate reversal of private authority in anti-
doping governance and the lack thereof in anti-match-fixing
governance, lends support to these propositions. It sheds
new light on the creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency
(WADA) and explains why there will probably be no coun-
terpart to fight match-fixing.
1|INTRODUCTION
Over the last 20 years, scholarly interest in transnational private governance has steadily increased (Isailovic and
Pattberg 2016). While knowledge of this subject matter has undeniably grown and diversified, the question whether
and how the state ‘can ever take back regulatory authority once it has been surrendered’remains a blind spot (Hall
and Biersteker 2002, p. 13). The literature correctly observes that the reversal of transnational private rule-making
Received: 3 June 2019 Revised: 29 March 2020 Accepted: 8 April 2020
DOI: 10.1111/padm.12668
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
© 2020 The Authors. Public Administration published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
156 Public Admin. 2021;99:156–170.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/padm
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