Academic Influence amongst the UK Public Elite

Abstract

This article examines the position of academics within UK quasi-autonomous decision-making. Data have been collected on 2858 individuals, sitting on the boards of 187 Westminster quangos, to assess which social groups and outside institutions hold influence on independent decision-making. These include 200 academics, sitting on 84 different boards. Analysis of the networks generated through mutual memberships of outside institutions shows academics are sitting in strategic positions within the quango sector. This article argues that higher academics have retained their high public position. It utilizes social network analysis to demonstrate that academics hold strategic positions within governance networks, signifying both political influence and associations with the social elite.