TY  - JOUR
A1  - Herold, Jana
A1  - Liese, Andrea
A1  - Busch, Per-Olof
A1  - Feil, Hauke
T1  - Why national ministries consider the policy advice of international bureaucracies
T2  - International studies quarterly : the journal of the International Studies Association
N2  - Scholars of international relations and public administration widely assume that international bureaucracies, in their role as policy advisors, directly influence countries' domestic policies. Yet, this is not true across the board. Why do some countries closely consider the advice of international bureaucracies while others do not? This article argues that international bureaucracies' standing as sources of expertise is crucial. We tested this argument using data from a unique survey that measured prevalent practices of advice utilization in thematically specialized policy units of national ministries in a representative sample of more than a hundred countries. Our findings show that ministries' perceptions of international bureaucracies' expertise, that is, specialized and reliable knowledge, are the key factor. International bureaucracies influence national ministries directly and without the support of other actors that may also have an interest in the international bureaucracies' policy advice. Our analysis also demonstrates that the effects of alternative means of influence, such as third-party pressure and coercion, are themselves partly dependent on international bureaucracies' reputation as experts. The findings presented in this article reinforce the emphasis on expertise as a source of international bureaucracies' influence, and provide a crucial test of its importance.
Y1  - 2021
UR  - https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/58056
SN  - 0020-8833
SN  - 1468-2478
VL  - 65
IS  - 3
SP  - 669
EP  - 682
PB  - Oxford Univ. Press
CY  - Oxford
ER  -