Political Elite Transformation as a Driver of Structural Reform in the Era of Globalization

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.57017/jaes.v21.si.1(91).07

Author(s):

Oleksandr NAZARCHUK Public Organization “Institute of Strategic Design”, Ukraine
Maryna OSTAPENKO Department of Political Science, Educational and Scientific Institute of Law and Political Science, Dragomanov Ukrainian State University, Ukraine
Tetiana NIKOLAIEVA Political Technologies Department, Institute of Law, Kyiv National University of Economics named after Vadym Hetman, Ukraine
Yuliia LYSENKO Political Technologies Department, Institute of Law, Kyiv National University of Economics named after Vadym Hetman, Ukraine
Vitalii KULYK Political Technologies Department, Institute of Law, Kyiv National University of Economics named after Vadym Hetman, Ukraine

Abstract:

This study examines the transformation of political elites under the influence of globalization and analyses their role in shaping structural reform agendas in transitional economies. As globalization increasingly integrates national markets into the global financial and institutional architecture, the composition, orientation, and capacity of political elites become key determinants of economic resilience and institutional development. Using a multidisciplinary political economy approach combined with qualitative structural analysis, the research investigates how the transition from traditional, closed elite structures toward more technocratic and internationally connected leadership influences governance quality, institutional reform, and fiscal discipline. Empirical evidence is derived from semi-structured interviews with policymakers, civil society representatives, and international experts, complemented by documentary analysis of policy reports and institutional documents. The findings suggest that elites integrated into global governance networks are more likely to promote structural reforms that support foreign investment, institutional modernization, and long-term economic stability, while fragmented or locally entrenched elites may resist reform initiatives, contributing to institutional inertia and fiscal vulnerabilities.

This study contributes to the literature on political economy and globalization by providing an empirical qualitative assessment of elite transformation in a transitional economy and by illustrating how global governance integration shapes domestic reform capacity. The findings offer policy-relevant insights for understanding the institutional conditions that facilitate structural reform in emerging and post-transition economies.

Copyright© 2026 The Author(s). This article is distributed under the terms of the license CC-BY 4.0., which permits any further distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article’s history: Received 7th of November, 2026; Revised 19th of December, 2026; Accepted 12th of January, 2026; Available online: 15th of March, 2026. Published as article in the Volume XXI, Special Issue, 1(91), 2026.

How to cite:

Nazarchuk, O., Ostapenko, M., Nikolaieva, T., Lysenko, Y., & Kulyk, V. (2026). Political Elite Transformation as a Driver of Structural Reform in the Era of Globalization. Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, Volume XXI, Special Issue, 1(91), 137 – 160. https://doi.org/10.57017/jaes.v21.si.1(91).07

Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements/Funding: N/A

Data Availability Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Ethical Approval Statement: This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and the guidelines of the Ukrainian National Research Ethics Committee. All interview participants provided informed consent, and their identities were anonymized to ensure confidentiality. Participation was voluntary, and all collected data were securely stored and accessible only to the research team.

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