Paths, Punctuations and Policy Learning—Comparing Patterns of European use of Scientific Expertise during the Covid-19 Crisis

Abstract

The article examines changes in the role and position of experts in policy making in the EU member states and four additional West European mature democracies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Unique survey data is employed to establish fit with competing theoretical understandings of policy learning from three distinct approaches of historical institutionalism: path dependency, punctuated equilibrium and ideational change. Despite the gravity of the crisis and institutional variation in sample countries, surprisingly strong support for path dependency is observed.