Allen Buchanan and Robert Keohane argue that international institutions can achieve 'complex standard' legitimacy through transparency, accountability, and minimal justice—without democratic authorization.

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Accountability(as used in ethics): Being responsible and expected to answer for your actions, including facing consequences if you cause harm.
Allen Buchanan(as a philosopher who studies international institutions): An American philosopher and ethicist who specializes in international relations, global justice, and the legitimacy of institutions like the United Nations.
Complex legitimacy(as an alternative to simple or democratic legitimacy): A type of legitimacy that doesn't rely on just one source of justification, but instead uses multiple different reasons to prove an institution deserves respect.
Democratic authorization(describes how democracies are supposed to work): The process by which a government gets legitimate power through the agreement and participation of the people it governs.

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International institutions(as organizations that coordinate between nations)

Formal organizations made up of multiple countries that work together on shared problems, like the UN, World Bank, or NATO.

Legitimacy(as what the argument is discussing whether democracy or autocracy can possess)

The quality of being rightfully in power; when people accept that a government has the right to rule.

Minimal justice(as a method for institutions to gain legitimacy)

Meeting the most basic standards of fairness—treating people without extreme cruelty or obvious bias, even if the system isn't perfectly equal.

Robert Keohane(as a scholar of international relations)

A political scientist who studies how countries cooperate through international institutions and the rules that govern global politics.

transparency(Term labeled by David Gauthier in game theory / Prisoner's Dilemma analysis)

A property of a player whose intentions are completely visible to others.

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