Like many buzzwords, “global governance” is poorly understood. In contrast to most mainstream accounts, this book examines global economic governance as an integral moment of contemporary capitalism. Susanne Soederberg presents a critical insight into its real nature and the interests that it serves. This book begins by asking what has not been discussed in the mainstream debates–and why. Soederberg explores neglected issues including transnational debt and the coercive nature of US aid to “failed states.” Soederberg argues that mainstream understandings fail to engage with the wider contradictions that characterize global capitalism. In consequence, there is no explanation of the changing nature of the American empire and capitalist power. Furthermore, Soederberg maintains that global governance acts to normalize increasingly austere forms of capitalist expansion.