New book examines revolving doors between government and business across 22 countries

By AI, Created 10:56 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Michael K. Bender’s new book analyzes how 22 countries and the European Union regulate government-to-business transitions, arguing that informal networks and weak enforcement keep conflicts of interest alive. The book points to Germany, Scandinavia and South Korea as the clearest examples of what can work when political will and oversight align.

Why it matters: - Government-to-business moves can turn public service into private-sector advantage, creating conflicts of interest, elite enrichment and, in some cases, national security risk. - The book argues that revolving-door rules shape how power works across systems from Washington to Beijing, not just in one country. - The findings matter because many governments still rely on regulations that do not stop insider access from becoming a marketable asset.

What happened: - Michael K. Bender released In Search of Expertise: Government-to-Business Transitions and the Architecture of Global Power. - The book examines how 22 countries plus the European Union regulate post-government moves into private-sector roles. - The analysis draws on 40 years of research, observation and experience in international business, government service and diplomacy. - The book is available from Amazon at the book listing.

The details: - The book argues that informal networks matter more than formal rules in every system examined. - France treats government-business circulation through “pantouflage” as serving national interests. - Britain’s old boy networks rely on discretion. - China uses Communist Party control to manage transitions as an instrument of state power. - Russia operates through siloviki networks, with former security service officers holding major influence in both government and business. - Japan normalizes “amakudari” as a cultural tradition. - Germany has comprehensive restrictions but still faces creative workarounds. - South Korea tightened enforcement after the 2016 political crisis and produced measurable change. - Scandinavia relies on transparency and social pressure more than complex regulations. - India recognizes conflicts of interest but lacks the institutional capacity to enforce strong restrictions.

Between the lines: - The book’s core argument is that rulebooks matter less than enforcement, resources and political support. - Cultural attitudes determine whether a revolving-door move is seen as corruption, normal career advancement or patriotic service. - That helps explain why similar conflicts can trigger outrage in one country and acceptance in another. - The book says intelligence-officer transitions are a universal regulatory gap, with minimal oversight in every system examined. - It cites examples ranging from CIA officers joining defense contractors to MI6 officers becoming corporate advisers and Chinese intelligence personnel moving into state-owned enterprises.

What actually works: - Germany, Scandinavia and South Korea are presented as the clearest cases for meaningful reform. - The book says ethics bodies need political independence, enough resources to fight legal challenges and public support when enforcement becomes uncomfortable. - Intelligence officers should face five-year cooling-off periods and lifetime bans on working for adversarial foreign governments. - Military procurement officials should face three-year restrictions and lifetime bans on programs they oversaw. - Regulatory officials should face lifetime bans on working for companies they directly regulated.

The bottom line: - The book’s central claim is blunt: revolving-door regulation fails unless governments are willing to enforce real limits on access, influence and post-office profit.