Shaping the Evolution of Regime Complex

Abstract

Abstract Regime complex has been widely recognized in many governance issues, but the evolutionary dynamics in regime complex are largely overlooked. This article explores the evolutionary dynamics by conducting a case study on the regime complex for human genetic data, which has evolved as an alternation between stable and unstable periods, known as punctuated equilibrium. Given that existing theories fail to explain the evolutionary pattern, a multiactor analysis framework is set up with the core argument that the evolution of regime complex is shaped by interactions between governance issues outside the regime complex, and a combination of actor power and institutional logics within them. Besides its specific contribution to the literature on regime complex, this article has general implications for research in global governance.