The concept of "political expert culture" as an analytical model of advisory processes in political decision-making on the example of Germany and Poland

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the research project findings on political advisory and lobbying in the political decision-making process. The comparative analysis is based on the assumption that in each country specific policy advisory solutions are developed shaped by particular political, institutional, and legal, as well as historical and cultural circumstances. With this in mind, the authors propose a concept of ‘Political Expert Culture’ (PEC), understood as a system of norms, procedures and instruments managing the relations between experts and political decision-makers. The authors discuss conclusions resulting from the analysis of the empirical material obtained through in-depth interviews with politicians and advisors in two distinct institutional settings: the German Bundestag (Western Europe) and the Polish Sejm (East-Central Europe). The study focuses on how politicians and advisers understand the role of experts within political decision-making processes and how they perceive the criteria of legitimacy and legality of different types of advisory activities. Opinions of interviewees and analysis of the above-mentioned criteria shaping the practice of political consulting and lobbying allowed the authors to distinguish four types of the PEC, which constitute a starting point for further comparative research in this area. The conclusions formulated adopt criteria for distinguishing between different types of "PEC", confirm a number of differences in the way political advisory and lobbying function in Poland and Germany, and build a set of theses and assumptions that can form the basis for further research in this area in a broader comparative perspective.