Elite cohesion and policy consensus: Technocrats and politicians in Chile and Uruguay’s economic policy networks (2003–2012)

Abstract

This article examines how elite cohesion in economic policymaking is achieved through different configurations of knowledge and political power. Comparing Chile’s technocratic democracy and Uruguay’s more participatory but less technocratic model, the study analyzes policy networks during the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis, using cohesive blocking analysis and exponential random graph models (ERGMs). The findings reveal that both technocratic expertise and political ties can foster effective policymaking consensus, depending on the institutional context. By challenging the dominant assumption that technocratic networks are uniquely suited to building consensus, this study advances a broader theoretical understanding of how different forms of elite capital contribute to policymaking cohesion in Latin America.