ABSTRACT
Most case studies describe processes wherein actors conflict as they seek contrary goals in an evolving situation. As such, they are narratives of how problems arise, persist, or get resolved with the passage of time. In this case, however, the focus is on an institution, the United Nations, and how it is adjusting to a wide range of challenges. Our concern is less with a single issue moving through time and more with the dynamics whereby numerous overlapping and simultaneous issues are addressed by a multipurpose organization at roughly a single point in time. Stated differently, we are interested in multiple narratives and how they interact to shape the authority, stability, resources, and structures of a vital instrument for the maintenance of international order.
