Rediscovering Epistemic Coalitions Twenty Years Later: Using the International Olympic Committee to Build toward A Literature on Epistemic Institutionalism

Abstract

Abstract This article aims to help the literature on global governance and international professionalism move beyond a myopic focus on epistemic communities by unpacking the underutilized term epistemic coalition. Epistemic coalitions are an international nonstate actor that employ a broadened notion of expertise to incorporate business and political advocates alongside technical experts. I differentiate epistemic coalitions from epistemic communities by synthesizing the international relations, organizational theory, and public policy literatures. These organizations differ in the breadth of their policy agendas, dynamics of internal cohesion, and capabilities to engage in global policy transfer. However, I note that it is still unclear how epistemic coalitions coordinate member action along different professions and what are the conditions under which epistemic coalitions’ membership balances will be viewed by national elites as professionally legitimate. I then examine the role of the International Olympic Committee in US steroid policy to induce two preliminary hypotheses that can potentially address these gaps. First, epistemic coalitions use a foundational narrative to coordinate action among professions. Second, perceptions of equitable membership balance stem from an ideational congruence between national and international elites. I conclude with how these hypotheses can be tested in the future.