The Politics of Quality Regulation in Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis of England's and Israel's Quality Regulation

The increasing complexity of quality regulation in higher education raises fundamental questions about the politics of institutional autonomy vs. accountability and how political dynamics shape these tensions. This study examines the influence of politics on quality regulation through a comparative analysis of England's evolving regulatory system and Israel's centralized model (2000–2024). Using comparative analysis and process tracing, it analyzes England’s transition from third-party oversight to direct government regulation and contrasts it with Israel’s historically state-centric approach. The findings demonstrate that regulatory frameworks are not merely technical responses to sector-specific needs but rather manifestations of deeper political struggles over the definition and control of educational quality. England’s shift toward direct regulation aligns with a broader political-economic paradigm that prioritizes market-driven oversight and institutional autonomy, while Israel’s centralized approach reflects a polarized political landscape in which government distrust of academia drives increased C&C regulation. These results suggest that national political orientations systematically influence both the mechanisms and underlying principles of quality regulation, challenging conventional understandings of regulatory evolution in higher education. By revealing how political ideologies become structurally embedded within regulatory frameworks, this study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of higher education governance around quality issues and regulatory design that promotes quality regulation.