Abstract
Why do regional institutions initiated by secondary states often come to reflect the preferences of regional hegemons rather than those of their founders? This article examines this puzzle through a comparative analysis of three Eurasian organizations initiated or co-initiated by Kazakhstan: the Eurasian Economic Union, the Organization of Turkic States, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia. Using process tracing and structured comparison, the article shows that secondary states can exercise meaningful agenda-setting authority during founding moments, particularly under conditions of limited hegemonic engagement. Over time, however, this influence erodes as regional powers re-engage and redirect institutions through administrative control, institutional ecosystems and ideational leadership. The findings demonstrate how hierarchy in Eurasian regionalism is produced incrementally through institutions rather than imposed at their creation.