How does the inner circle shape the policy-planning network in France?

Abstract

Policy-planning organizations have undergone significant development in France over the last two decades. Interconnecting the economic, political and intellectual elites, their study merits particular attention. This paper examines the active involvement of the business community in these organizations to highlight its role in the policy-planning process. Focusing on the top 100 corporations and the top 40 policy organizations, it analyses the structure of their interlocking directorates. The cohesion of the policy-planning network significantly relies on the brokering role of a few business leaders and economists. The network discloses a core-periphery structure and a left–right polarization. The results shed light on the relative convergence among the main policy organizations and the relegation of less consensual organizations to the network periphery.

Delineating the corporate elite: Inquiring the boundaries and composition of interlocking directorate networks

“…Following the basic underpinnings of corporate elite theory, a corporate elite requires not only structural cohesion but also a willingness for common action to promote their (class‐wide) interests. One important and well‐established indicator that signifies such an orientation is their presence at other non‐corporate organizations (Barnes, 2017; Carroll, 2004; Comet, 2019; Domhoff, 1967; Useem, 1984). These can either be interest groups or think tanks, but also charities, foundations, cultural institutions and universities.…”

A double-edged sword: The conditional properties of elite network ties in the financial sector

“…However, the majority of work in this area tends to focus on corporate board interlocks (see e.g. Cronin, 2011; Comet, 2019). While board interlocks are important, expanding the range of ties can be a useful way of better representing the diverse organizational ecology that elites are widely understood to inhabit.…”

Emerging Sino–European Corporate Elite Networks

“…Power structure research has produced ample evidence of the existence of transnational networks of corporate power and control through the interlocking ties of directors across the world's major corporations (Carroll, 2010 ; Carroll and Fennema, 2002 ; Fennema, 1982 ; Heemskerk, 2013 ; Kentor and Jang, 2004 ) as well as through ties between corporations and so‐called policy‐planning bodies such as think tanks, foundations and advocacy groups (Carroll and Carson, 2003 ; Carroll and Sapinski, 2010 ; Comet, 2019 ), and revolving door networks with US politics (van Apeldoorn and de Graaff, 2014 , 2016 ; de Graaff and van Apeldoorn, 2011 ; Murray, 2017 ). These transnational networks have been interpreted as signs of the emergence of a global corporate elite in the form of an Atlantic ruling class (van der Pijl, 1984 ), an international corporate elite (Fennema, 1982 ), or a transnational capitalist class (Robinson, 2004 ; Sklair, 2001 ).…”