The Domestic Mediation of Global Norms: A Typology of Institutional Filtering in Comparative Perspective

We see increasing attention to how global or transnational norms—like gender equality, fossil fuel reform, or human rights—affect domestic politics. Erikson and Josefsson (2024) study the national norm of gender balance, while Drake and Skovgaard (2024) look at the global push against fossil fuel subsidies. But we lack a systematic framework for understanding the institutional pathway of these norms. This project aims to fill that gap by creating a new typology. I propose that domestic institutions can act as: 1) a Sieve, selectively letting through only those normative ideas that align with existing power structures; 2) an Amplifier, taking a weak international norm and giving it legal and political force; 3) a Transformer, fundamentally reshaping a global norm to fit local contexts; or 4) a Shield, actively blocking the norm's influence entirely. This would reorganize our knowledge by creating a framework applicable across multiple issue areas. For instance, we could analyze how Germany's corporatist institutions (Drake & Skovgaard, 2024) amplified the norm of subsidy reform, while other institutional arrangements might have shielded the fossil fuel industry. Similarly, we could use this to understand why seemingly strong international gender norms get translated so differently into national institutions, a question central to Lowndes's (2020) work on how institutions are gendered. This typology would provide a powerful new tool for comparative analysis, moving beyond simple case studies to a structured comparison of how domestic architectures mediate global pressures.

References:

1. Do Political Institutions Influence the Dismantling of Fossil Fuel Subsidies? Lessons from the OECD Countries and a Comparative Analysis of Canadian and German Production Subsidies. Evan Drake, Jakob Skovgaard (2024). Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis.
2. Adverse Contagion? Populist Radical Right Parties and Norms on Gender Balance in Political Institutions. Josefina Erikson, Cecilia Josefsson (2024). Politics and Governance.
3. How Are Political Institutions Gendered?. Vivien Lowndes (2020). Political Studies.
4. How Are Political Institutions Gendered?. Vivien Lowndes (2020). Political Studies.