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Paper abstract:

What is the role of think tanks in policymaking processes? Can they become drivers of policy change and how much influence do they actually have? These questions are central to the research on think tanks as institutionalized embodiments of expert communities. In the context of West European and North American democratic societies, they have been studied extensively. However, we still know little about policy impact and functions of think tanks in nondemocratic and hybrid political settings. This paper addresses this gap by analyzing the work of think tanks in Kazakhstan. This is done in the context of the Covid-19 crisis, which presented a major test of state capacities in protecting public health and preserving public safety. The paper particularly engages in the following questions: (How) do think tanks attempt to expert influence on policymaking processes and societal developments? What kind of advice do they provide and what functions do they assume in times of crises? Finally, how do think tanks assess their own impact? Methodologically, the paper draws on an original set of 24 semi-structured expert interviews with think tank representatives, conducted in Almaty, Astana and online in the period between April and September 2022. The interview data is complemented with content analysis of think tank publications covering different aspects of the Covid-19 crisis. The findings are discussed against the background of Kazakhstan’s ongoing political reforms and the current governance structures. Empirically, the paper offers the first systematic examination of the kind in the context of Central Asia. Conceptually, it contributes to a better understanding of the role of expert communities by suggesting a taxonomy of functions think tanks exercise in political settings beyond consolidated liberal democracies.