Pluralising the economic knowledge of politics. Evidence from a German case study

Lukas Bäuerle and Rouven Reinke
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Rouven Reinke: Department of Socioeconomics, University of Hamburg, Germany

No 180, ICAE Working Papers from Johannes Kepler University, Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy

Abstract: Economic expertise in German policymaking has long been shaped by technocratic, market-liberal advisory bodies closely connected to mainstream economics. Over the past decade, however, an alternative knowledge ecosystem—the New Economy Space (NES)—has emerged, promoting heterodox, pluralist, and impact-orientated approaches to economic policy. Drawing on interviews and organisational documents, this paper maps the internal diversity of the NES and compares it with established advisory configurations. We identify three distinct modes of economic knowledge and political interventions: technical and model-driven expertise within institutionalised advisory bodies, paradigm-driven interventions by neoliberal think tanks, and pragmatic, co-creative, and problem-focused approaches within the NES. While institutionalised actors continue to hold greater resources and formal authority, the NES introduces new topics, actor constellations, and practices into economic policy debates.

Date: 2026-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hme, nep-hpe and nep-pke
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