Elite Networks Research Articles

Syrian War Economies

Abstract Accounts of the Syrian conflict tend to emphasize “top-down” geopolitics or “bottom-up” local-national conflict dynamics. As a contribution to this roundtable on rethinking war economies, I argue that political economy and comparative approaches can help explain the connections between global-regional processes and domestic institutional transformations brought by war. Institutional development under Asad left a contradictory legacy: the Syrian regime was incapable of compromise with domestic opposition in 2011, but it proved resilient in the ensuing devastating war that subjected the government to international sanctions, external interventions, and territorial fragmentation. The Syrian regime responded to these shocks by reconfiguring its elite networks of power, which further blurred the lines between formal and informal institutions. As its financial resources dropped, the regime initiated new economic policies, but these attempts were refracted through the distortions of the war, and either became predatory or were paradoxically blocked by the elite networks crafted earlier as a survival strategy.

From local networks to national reform? Programmatic groups in the regionalization of German health policy

AbstractBefore policy reform initiatives reach the agenda of national decision makers, such initiatives often start at a small‐scale, local level. The Programmatic Action Framework (PAF) emphasizes the importance of biographical connections to understand how a group of policy actors forms, and how it develops programs that may lead to decade‐long policy change. This article applies the PAF to study the emergence of a programmatic group behind initiatives on regionalization in German health policy through discourse analysis and expert interviews. The study contributes to understanding social networks behind policy programs and social‐psychological, partly informal drivers of policy change. The results show that many PAF conditions have already been met in the German health policy subsystem. We describe a network of policy actors with local and organizational drivers that has led to nationwide cooperation on regionalization.Related ArticlesCaliskan, Cantay. 2020. “The Influence of Elite Networks on Green Policy Making.” Politics & Policy 48(6): 1104–37. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12382.Petridou, Evangelia, Per Becker, and Jörgen Sparf. “Policy Entrepreneurs in Public Administration: A Social Network Analysis.” Politics & Policy 49(2): 414–45. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12400.Svallfors, Stefan, Erica Falkenström, Corrie Hammar, and Anna T. Höglund. 2022. “Networked Reports: Commissioning and Production of Expert Reports on Swedish Health Care Governance.” Politics & Policy 50(3): 580–97. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12462.

Rural gentrification, the booming B&B industry and linked migration in China: To what extent can gentrification contribute to rural revitalisation?

AbstractAccompanying the functional transformation of rural areas from productivism to postproductivism, the rural areas with scenic views surrounding megacities are re‐evaluated in terms of their importance as destinations for visitors, especially in the case of booming bed and breakfast (B&B) industry in contemporary rural China. While private investment has generally led to improvements in the physical space and economic development of these villages, there is also concern about the negative effects of rural gentrification, such as the commercialisation of rural space, the alienation of rural culture and the displacement of indigenous residents. This study examines the multifaceted nature of rural gentrification by observing two villages within the Moganshan Mountain area—the birthplace of rural B&Bs in China, and explores how these processes have been leveraged to promote rural revitalisation. Research findings suggest that disparities in original resources and property rights allocation underpinning the B&B industries among the first‐wave gentrifiers and the local villagers, when viewed through the lens of linked migration, may lead to different socioeconomic outcomes. The B&B industry's growth can either be exclusive, primarily favouring gentrifiers, or complementary, fostering mutual benefits and learning opportunities for both gentrifiers and local villagers. Moreover, forming a collaborative network of rural villagers, returning migrants, and external elites can contribute to rural revitalisation through gentrification. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of rural gentrification by adding evidence from the Global South and provide insights to inform Chinese rural revitalisation policies, especially alternatives to traditional state‐led revitalisation projects.

Who watches the watchdogs? Central bank board members and banking supervisors in Switzerland (1907–2008)

ABSTRACT The Swiss financial center developed spectacularly during the 20th century, becoming one of the main hubs for cross-border financial transactions. The regulatory environment that enabled this growth is still poorly understood. This contribution examines the government appointees who controlled the banking supervisory institutions (Swiss National Bank and Federal Banking Commission). The focus is on the individuals who supervised those two institutions and analyzes the evolution of their board members from their creation, in 1907 and 1935 respectively, to 2008. This prosopographical study – using indicators such as gender, age, education, career paths and political affiliation – seeks to determine: a) their typical socio-professional profile, b) their closeness to the banking industry and c) their representativeness of society, politics, and business. My findings highlight both significant changes in the last decade of the century, with an increase in the level of education and a drop in political affiliation, and a long-term stability of the socio-professional profile of the board members: middle-aged to elderly men, with a PhD in law or economics, considerable experience in the banking or business world, and often an affiliation with the governing political parties. Both institutions were supervised by individuals with close connections to the financial industry. They became arenas for elite networking, simultaneously failing to represent large segments of society.

Accountability as a function of power relationships in public governance networks

AbstractIn public governance, power and accountability are inextricably linked. However, although an integrated exploration of these concepts could enhance our understanding of how governance operates, few studies have examined them together. Drawing on resource dependency theory, we suggest that power relationships within networks shape accountability and have a concomitant impact on the prevailing governance paradigm. Specifically, where principals possess important resources that enable them to exercise power over agents and hold them to account through hierarchical mechanisms, Traditional Public Administration approaches predominate. Where resources are diffused within elite networks in New Public Management contexts, individual actors can exercise greater power to achieve their objectives, and accountability arrangements become increasingly multidirectional and complex. Finally, if resources are shared across society as in the New Public Governance paradigm, actors generate power with each other to achieve shared goals, and accountability relationships are more horizontal with a focus on learning.

Corporate (social) responsibility in state-business relations from the perspective of critical state theory: a historical case of early modern China

This article presents a theoretical framework for analysing corporate responsibility through the lens of critical state theory, focusing on the dynamic interplay between state and business. Traditionally, corporate responsibility is seen as voluntary corporate actions for public welfare. However, it is increasingly viewed as integral to business strategy and subject to regulatory oversight. Utilizing Jessop’s strategic-relational approach, this study underscores the state’s role in structuring corporate behaviour, revealing how shifts in political elite networks influence corporate responsibility practices. A historical analysis of early modern China highlights these dynamics within specific national contexts characterized by developmentalism and authoritarianism, demonstrating the profound impact of state-business symbiosis on corporate responsibility. This analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of corporate responsibility in diverse political and economic settings, demonstrating how state power, corporate influence, and social welfare are mutually reinforcing and shaped by broader socio-political dynamics.

Elite cohesion and resilience of the Russian regions: the case of Belgorod Oblast

ABSTRACT What accounts for the ability of regional elites to respond to the challenges posed by the Russian war against Ukraine? This study argues that elite cohesion elevates the ability of subnational elites to cope and adapt to crises. It employs social network analysis of a novel biographical data set of elites’ connections in Belgorod Oblast, the border region that has been severely affected by the war. The analysis reveals that the war has made a relatively minor impact on the structure of the elite network as it has retained its original characteristics. Furthermore, it shows that the outsider governor has not only managed to strengthen his own position among the elites but also to reinforce elite cohesion. By bringing together different elite groups, the governor has enhanced their ability to perform under substantial stress. These findings advance our understanding of the sources of resilience in personalist autocracies.

Colonial-Imposed Slavery and African Abolitionism: The Early Twentieth- Century Lagos Elites’ Campaign Against the Native House Rule Ordinance

ABSTRACT This article examines the efforts of early-twentieth-century abolitionists in Lagos, Nigeria who campaigned against the Native House Rule Ordinance/Proclamation, a colonial law perceived as perpetuating indigenous slavery in the Niger Delta region. The study enriches the corpus of African abolitionist literature by revealing how a network of Lagos elites employed a strategic top-down approach to advocate for the law's repeal, which they believed sustained a form of slavery instituted by British colonialism. The research utilizes an extensive range of primary sources, including local Nigerian newspaper publications, correspondence, petitions, and archival documents from both Nigerian and British repositories. The paper contextualizes the Native House Rule system, explores the Lagos campaigners’ strategies and arguments against the ordinance, and discusses the law's amendment and eventual repeal. Through detailed case studies and the examination of African-led initiatives, the study acknowledges the previously understated contributions of African activists, thereby rectifying a significant oversight in historical literature. This paper underscores the importance of recognizing indigenous agency in historical narratives, particularly in the context of abolition and resistance to colonial policies.

The Final Bronze/Early Iron Age in the Old Zerafshan Delta, Uzbekistan: Pilot Investigations at Kimirek-kum-1

ABSTRACT The transition between the Final Bronze and Early Iron Age remains one of the least understood periods in the archaeology of southern Central Asia. In this paper, we introduce the newly discovered site of Kimirek-kum-1 (floruit ca. 1250–1050 cal b.c.) in the old delta of the Zerafshan River in present-day Uzbekistan. Combined pedestrian survey, geomagnetic prospection, hand augering, and stratigraphic excavation, conducted between 2021 and 2023, demonstrate the site’s unique potential to improve our understanding of the Final Bronze/Early Iron Age transition and the interface between the Central Eurasian steppes to the north and the Indo-Iranian world to the south. Notably, our investigations yielded nearly 400 objects in copper alloys, lead, gold, and semi-precious stone. These findings strongly suggest that Kimirek-kum-1 represents a substantial new Final Bronze/Early Iron Age center with extensive external links. It raises critical questions about the continuity of long-distance exchanges and elite networks after the end of the Oxus civilization.

Economic, Social, and Political Elites in MENA Political Science

Recent Western literature concerning the political determinants of economic and social outcomes has primarily concentrated on regime types and the effectiveness of state institutions. While this literature has been influential among scholars of and in the Middle East and North Africa, there has also been an emphasis in the region on the interests and networks of economic and political elites—the interactions between rulers, elites, and the broader citizenry—to explain divergent policy outcomes. This is largely due to the inability of dominant mainstream institutional and structural theories to explain much of what has been observed in the region, viewing it as exceptional in its authoritarianism and resistance to global trends. In fact, the seeds for a more sophisticated understanding can be found in the literature on the Arab world that emphasizes relational dynamics between political and economic actors. Synthesizing the insights of scholars of the region has the potential to contribute more broadly to global debates on how political factors and conditions within states shape the quality of life experienced by their residents. Such a shift to viewing regimes as networks provides a useful framework for bridging the broader trends in political science with the work emanating from scholarship on the Middle East and North Africa.

Emotions and positive anti-communism during the early Cold War: the case of the Bilderberg Group

In the early 1950s, the Bilderberg Group became one of the first high-level informal transatlantic elite networks of the cold war. This article examines how the discussions at the Bilderberg Meetings were affected by the emotional nature of anti-communism on both sides of the Atlantic. On the one hand, ‘negative’ emotions resulting from the fear of communist infiltration and aggression could lead to the strengthening of transatlantic bonds. On the other hand, differences in political responses to communism could also lead to emotionally charged disagreements, as the first Bilderberg Conference in 1954 showed. As a result, the transatlantic discourse about anti-communism shifted towards the search for a strategy of positive anti-communism. The most important expression of this shift was the project of European integration.

Feminism, Disability Rights, Activism and Academia in Scotland: A Personal Reflection on ‘Velvet Triangles’ in Practice

In this article the author critically reflects on her experiences as an academic and feminist/disability rights activist in Scottish civic society. She draws on ideas about a ‘velvet triangle’ – a co-operative constellation of academics, policy makers and activists – that exists in Scottish feminist policy circles. She explores the tensions between co-operative governance with the Scottish Government and the need for civic society to be an independent critic of policy makers. She is critical of co-operative constellations that in her experience can act as closed elite networks, prioritising some voices over others. She calls for a wider group of feminist activists and academics to be involved in Scottish policy making.

The divergence of South Korea's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) from the EU ETS: An institutional complementarity view

AbstractEmissions trading schemes (ETS) have spread across the globe to tackle climate change. However, limited attention has been given to how ETS characteristics and designs differ and why. We use the concept of institutional complementarity to explore how the EU ETS and South Korea's ETS (K‐ETS) adapt to complement established political economy. The EU ETS is characterized as a market with stakeholder ownership, while the K‐ETS is more regulatory in nature with government leadership. The EU ETS complements a decentralized political system with liberalized energy market, and the K‐ETS became compatible with the centralized majoritarian politics and a regulated electricity market. The ETSs have evolved incrementally, and they are not likely to link in the foreseeable future due to divergence. We suggest a strong focus on “how to adapt” an ETS to its own institution rather than adopting the established blueprint model in countries with a strong regulatory style of governance.Related ArticlesCaliskan, Cantay. 2020. “The Influence of Elite Networks on Green Policy Making.” Politics & Policy 48(6): 1104–37. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12382.Tanaka, Yugo, Andrew Chapman, Tetsuo Tezuka, and Shigeki Sakurai. 2020. “Multiple Streams and Power Sector Policy Change: Evidence from the Feed‐In Tariff Policy Process in Japan.” Politics & Policy 48(3): 464–89. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12357.von Malmborg, Fredrik. 2023. “Combining the Advocacy Coalition Framework and Argumentative Discourse Analysis: The Case of the ‘Energy Efficiency First’ Principle in EU Energy and Climate Policy.” Politics & Policy 51(2): 222–41. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12525.

Copper-alloy belt fittings and elite networking in Early Medieval Central Europe

This paper attempts to change the traditional view of the Late Avar belt fittings, which in the 8th century AD delineated an extremely dense communication network within the Carpathian Basin and beyond, by using a groundbreaking combination of iconography, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), lead isotope analysis, digital morphometry and 3D comparative prototyping. It presents a complex analysis of bronze belt ends decorated with an exceptional scene of a snake eating a frog-like creature, discovered in the last decade in Czech Republic, Hungary and Germany. According to the iconography, this motif represents an important cosmogonic and fertility myth, known to various early medieval populations living in Central Europe. Some of these belt ends come from the same workshop and/or are derived from a common model, even though they were found in very distant regions. The study also focuses on the provenance of the raw material used in the production of Avar-style belt fittings in general. For the first time, it was possible to locate the Early Medieval source of copper in the Slovak Ore Mountains, using lead isotope analysis.

“The Situation Will Most Likely Turn Ugly”: Corporate Counter-Insurgency and Sexual Violence at a Canadian-Owned Mine in Guatemala

This paper offers a window into the terrain of corporate influence over violence in the mining industry. The research draws on over 300 pages of internal communications and other corpo-rate documents, which were produced by Vancouver-based Skye Resources and released pub-licly as an affidavit in a civil court case in Ontario, Canada. The documents demonstrate the roles of mining company executives and their collaborators in coordinating events that led to the gang rape of eleven Maya Q’eqchi’ women in Guatemala during a 2007 land eviction. Ana-lyzing the documents through a framework of corporate counter-insurgency (co-COIN), the pa-per explores the importance of international consultants and local elite networks in co-COIN campaigns. The case study explored in this paper contributes to the theorization of public-pri-vate repressive forces within co-COIN. The research also offers a visual tool to map actors in other instances of mining violence, which is intended for use by both academic researchers and anti-mining social movements.

Democracy, Authoritarianism, and Political Corruption: Elite Cartel Corruption in Hungary and Italy

This research examines the relationship between democracy, authoritarianism, and political corruption through a comparative case study of Elite Cartel corruption in Hungary and Italy. While perceptions of corruption have significantly worsened in Hungary over the last 10 years, they have significantly improved in Italy. We utilize the theory of deep democratization as a way of explaining these trends. Deep democratization is a long-term process resulting in social and political changes leading to rules and mechanisms of accountability that provide wider inclusion in the governance process and autonomy from corrupt networks of elites. The five key characteristics of a country that has achieved deep democratization include competitive multi-party elections, professionalism in the civil service, a strong and independent judiciary, a free and independent press, and a strong and vibrant civil society. In the case of Hungary, each of these five characteristics have been significantly weakened as a result of its backsliding towards authoritarianism. In the case of Italy, however, the relative strengthening of these characteristics has led to substantive progress in its fight against corruption. Our findings support previous research that indicates authoritarianism breeds corruption.

Protégés of power: Patrimonialism in mobility narratives of the Danish power elite

Abstract Career narratives among the Danish power elite often include the facilitating presence of an elite superior. We explore the role patrons play in the mobility narratives of the Danish power elite. Drawing from a highly select group identified in the core of elite networks, we interviewed 37 individuals selected for maximal variation in career paths, networks and positions within the power elite. We referenced the concept of patrimonialism to understand the relations between patrons and protégés in building an elite career and develop a typology identifying three kinds of patrimonial relations described by elites, intra-organizational relations to mentors and patriarchs and inter-organizational relations to sponsors. We then empirically explore the three types of patrimonial relations. Finally, we argue that each of these patrimonial relations reinforce elite cohesion, even in the supposedly critical case of good governance in Denmark. Hence, patrimonial relations present a crucial perspective for understanding contemporary power structures.

Subnational authority and political alignment in African states

ABSTRACT This paper examines the importance of, and variations in, political alignment within African regimes. Political alignment is how leaders establish sufficient political support across elites: we posit that formal appointments are the primary way that leaders manipulate political coalitions in order to secure their collective authority and tenure. Appointments, individually and collectively, can take on multiple characteristics: they can create inclusive or exclusive coalitions, transactional or loyal support, volatile or stable elite networks. Appointment powers have greater salience since governments institutionalized and formalized in governance systems across democratic and autocratic states. Manipulating who holds and secures power at the subnational and national levels, rather than repressive control or state capacity, underpins the stability, security, and survival of modern African regimes.

Coloniality, Elite Networks and Intersectionality: Key Concepts in Understanding Biomedical Power and Equity in Health Policy Processes Comment on "Power Dynamics Among Health Professionals in Nigeria: A Case Study of the Global Fund Policy Process".

To understand the role of power in health policy processes in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) contexts, it is necessary to engage with global and local power structures and their historical contexts. In this commentary, we outline three dimensions that shape a dominant power in health policy processes-the biomedical power. We propose that understanding the linkages between medical power and colonialism; the close connection of public health, medicine and elite networks; and the intersectionalities that shape the powers of medical professionals can offer the means to examine the biomedical hegemony in health policy processes. Additionally we suggest that a more nuanced understanding of the interaction of local powers with global funding can offer some entry points to achieving more equitable and interdisciplinary health policy processes in LMICs.

Little transparency and equity in scientific awards for early- and mid-career researchers in ecology and evolution

Scientific awards can shape scientific careers, helping to secure jobs and grants, but can also contribute to the lack of diversity at senior levels and in the elite networks of scientists. To assess the status quo and historical trends, we evaluated 'best researcher' awards and 'best paper' early- and mid-career awards from broad-scope international journals and societies in ecology and evolution. Specifically, we collated information on eligibility rules, assessment criteria and potential gender bias. Our results reveal that, overall, few awards foster equitable access and assessment. Although many awards now explicitly allow extensions of the eligibility period for substantial career interruptions, there is a general lack of transparency in terms of assessment and consideration of other differences in access to opportunities and resources among junior researchers. Strikingly, open science practices were mentioned and valued in only one award. By highlighting instances of desirable award characteristics, we hope this work will nudge award committees to shift from simple but non-equitable award policies and practices towards strategies enhancing inclusivity and diversity. Such a shift would benefit not only those at the early- and mid-career stages but the whole research community. It is also an untapped opportunity to reward open science practices, promoting transparent and robust science.