Policy advice utilization in Belgian ministerial cabinets: The contingent importance of internal and external sources of advice

Ministerial cabinets hold a central place in the Belgian politico-administrative system, carrying out the bulk of policy formulation. However, they do not operate in isolation and rely on other actors of the policy advisory system for information supply and advice. They request and receive advisory inputs from these actors and use them to formulate policy proposals. This article investigates how ministerial advisers utilize policy advice when they formulate policies. Based on a survey targeting ministerial cabinet members, it shows that policy advice utilization varies according to the source... Mehr ...