The politics of epistemic communities in international agreements

Giuliano Espino

Chapter 32 in Handbook on the Politics of International Agreements, 2026, pp 501-515 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter provides an updated synthesis of the epistemic community literature with emphasis on how expert networks shape the initiation, negotiation, and implementation of international agreements. Building on foundational work identifying epistemic communities as authoritative networks of technical experts, the chapter traces the expansion of the concept from quantitative scientific expertise to qualitative domains. It reviews how epistemic communities influence global governance, how they interact with policymakers and social movements, and how they contribute to agreement design and compliance. The chapter also evaluates key criticisms regarding expert agency, democratic accountability, and conceptual inflation. Scholarly and practitioner efforts address concerns about access, self-interest, representation, and transparency. It concludes by examining emerging alternatives, such as epistemic coalitions, to better capture the evolving intersection of technical expertise and political advocacy in global policymaking.

Keywords: Epistemic Communities; International Agreements; Expertise; Democratic Accountability; Epistemic Coalitions; Global Policy Transfer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035318582
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