The questionable role of experts in global governance. Beyond David Kennedy approach

Marcin Kilanowski ()
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Marcin Kilanowski: Nicolaus Copernicus University

Ekonomia i Prawo, 2016, vol. 15, issue 4, 481-491

Abstract: Aim: This article focuses on the role of experts in creating regulations and policies on the global level. Motivation: The question that should be answered is what role do experts actually play, what do they represent, how are they elected, and how accountable are they. The analysis will start by presenting M. Foucault and D. Kennedy arguments regarding knowledge and the role of experts. It will be argued that experts not only represent ‘knowledge’ but also different intuitions and presumptions. They are subject to various institutional pressures, to interests combined with values and to the politics of daily life. Results: We should be aware of that and to see that the dichotomy of knowledge and politics collapses, that there is no longer pure knowledge that is detached from politics. Unfortunately we are not aware of that, especially when experts use the language that supports the outcome that is desired. In effect, they preserve the private law actors-public law actors dichotomy, because it serves, for example, the interests of multinational corporations, not to expend the scope of their responsibility. In the light of this we can say that changing our understanding of knowledge should also change our understanding of law as separate from politics, as mirroring a reality thanks to those that know best. With this mind, we can start to look for better ways of holding experts accountable for what they do and to try to ensure transparency in the process of creation of regulation and policy formation.

Keywords: experts; power relations; dichotomies; corporate governance; global governance; transparency; accountability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cpn:umkeip:v:15:y:2016:i:4:p:481-491

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