Globalising the Study of Diffusion: Multiple Sources and the East African Community

Publikation: Beiträge in ZeitschriftenZeitschriftenaufsätzeForschungbegutachtet

Authors

A growing literature on diffusion shows that ideas, policies and institutions originating in the European Union shape decision-making in other regional organisations (ROs). How-ever, a research programme which claims to examine processes of interdependent deci-sion-making between ROs in general cannot treat a single RO as the ‘default’ source of this diffusion. This paper thus (1) discusses what we term the ‘multiple sources’ problem in diffusion research and (2) presents a model of institutional diffusion, which highlights the important role of local actors in the multiple sources scenario. Based on original data collected via extensive fieldwork in East Africa, we present a case study on the interde-pendent sources behind the East African Community (EAC)’s establishment in drawing on this model. We find that EAC policymakers selected between, combined and modified several external institutions. These findings highlight local actors’ capacity for institutional innovation.
OriginalspracheEnglisch
ZeitschriftJournal of European Public Policy
Anzahl der Seiten29
ISSN1350-1763
DOIs
PublikationsstatusElektronische Veröffentlichung vor Drucklegung - 24.08.2024

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© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

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