Understanding policy influence in hybrid regimes: Insights from a qualitative study of policy advice in Ukraine and Moldova

Abstract

The growing complexity of policy challenges has necessitated the reconsideration of the classic state-centered deliberative models and their replacement with more inclusive concepts like that of the policy advisory system. Still, although the asymmetrical power distribution across different advisors has been recognized, the question of why some actors are able to exercise greater influence than others has received relatively little systematic attention. This paper addresses this question while focusing its attention on Ukraine and Moldova in a departure from the literature's empirical preoccupation with Western liberal democracies. Through a qualitative analysis of 45 semi-structured interviews, the paper empirically tests the theoretical conceptualization, which explains policy influence as a result of the interaction of content, context, demand and supply factors. The findings illustrate the usefulness of the framework as a theoretical tool beyond Western democratic systems. However, they also indicate the need for conceptual refinements accounting for the significant role played by internationalization, personalization, informality, politicization and political polarization in advisory dynamics in hybrid regimes like those in Ukraine and Moldova in order for advisory scholarship to overcome its Western bias.

Editorial introduction: Exploring theories and subtleties of the policy process

“…Now, moving on to the articles, the first seven contributions discuss various policy theories as they are related to different aspects of the policy process. The articles address topics such as polycentric governance (e.g., Lubell & Robbins, 2022;Vantaggiato & Lubell, 2022), institutional configurations for policy outcomes (e.g., Herzog et al, 2022;Möck et al, 2022), grammar of institutions for complex legal topics (e.g., Olivier & Schlager, 2022;Siddiki et al, 2022), state legislatures' public-facing policy agendas (e.g., Meza, 2022;Sato & Haselswerdt, 2022), consultants' roles in public policy formulation (e.g., Marchevska & Steen, 2022;Vantaggiato & Lubell, 2022), decision makers' attention to experts (e.g., Schiff & Schiff, 2023;Williams, 2021), and policy feedback via economic behavior (e.g., Jacobs et al, 2022;Lacombe, 2022). These articles shed light on the nuances and complexities of policy theory research and invite you to engage with different theoretical perspectives and frameworks.…”

Editorial introduction: An eclectic collection

“…Our lead article, "Understanding Policy Influence in Hybrid Regimes: Insights From A Qualitative Study of Policy Advice in Ukraine and Moldova," authored by Denitsa Marchevska and Trui Steen (2022), examines why some policy actors have more influence than others. Noting a focus in this area within the literature on Western liberal democracies, their research design focuses on the context of Ukraine and Moldova.…”