Abstract

AbstractExpert authority is regarded as the heart of international bureaucracies’ power. To measure whether international bureaucracies’ expert authority is indeed recognised and deferred to, we draw on novel data from a survey of a key audience: officials in the policy units of national ministries in 121 countries. Respondents were asked to what extent they recognised the expert authority of nine international bureaucracies in various thematic areas of agricultural and financial policy. The results show wide variance. To explain this variation, we test well-established assumptions on the sources of de facto expert authority. Specifically, we look at ministry officials’ perceptions of these sources and, thus, focus on a less-studied aspect of the authority relationship. We examine the role of international bureaucracies’ perceived impartiality, objectivity, global impact, and the role of knowledge asymmetries. Contrary to common assumptions, we find that de facto expert authority does not rest on impartiality perceptions, and that perceived objectivity plays the smallest role of all factors considered. We find some indications that knowledge asymmetries are associated with more expert authority. Still, and robust to various alternative specifications, the perception that international bureaucracies are effectively addressing global challenges is the most important factor.

Highlights

  • The expert authority of international bureaucracies1 – an authority ascribed to them as providers of expertise-based recommendations – has been widely discussed in the literature on international organisations (IOs).2 Scholars argue that this authority constitutes the ‘heart of bureaucratic power’ of IOs and enables them to influence both international and national policy.3 expert authority rests on a social relationship between an authority holder and a subordinate

  • This article showed that international bureaucracies enjoy varying degrees of de facto expert authority among policy units in ministries

  • While IO scholars have for long claimed to know why international bureaucracies enjoy expert authority, we found substantial empirical support for some but not other arguments

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Summary

Introduction

The expert authority of international bureaucracies1 – an authority ascribed to them as providers of expertise-based recommendations – has been widely discussed in the literature on international organisations (IOs).2 Scholars argue that this authority constitutes the ‘heart of bureaucratic power’ of IOs and enables them to influence both international and national policy.3 expert authority rests on a social relationship between an authority holder and a subordinate. Expected benefits are the main reason for the addressees of an international bureaucracy’s advice to grant authority to the actor in the first place.60 Once an authority relationship is established, it continues to rest on the ability of the actor to serve ‘some valued and legitimate social purpose’.61 international bureaucracies’ expert authority is called into question when they are perceived to perform badly.62 We find the same expectation for national bureaucracies in the public administration and management literature.63 we assume that ministry officials who have to propose solutions to specific policy problems turn to those international bureaucracies whose performance they value.

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Conclusion

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