1. NESS 2013, Copenhagen Teemu Harrinkari
International Influences on the Revision of Finnish Forest Act: Defining the Framework for Analysis of Different Stakeholder Coalitions’ Positions and Argumentation
NESS 2013, Copenhagen
Teemu Harrinkari

2. Contents The Aim of The Research
Background - The Reasons behind the Revision of Finnish Forest Act
The Advocacy Coalition Framework & International Influences

3. The ultimate aim of the research
to understand how international influences affect the domestic policy process
In this paper we describe the background of the ’problem’ and the analytical framework planned to be used in the analysis.

4. Background - The Reasons behind the Revision of Finnish Forest Act
Changes in attitudes:
extending the forest owners’ self-determination on their forests by reducing the regulation
taking into account the requirements of uneven-aged forestry
maintaining and improving the biological diversity of forests

5. The Advocacy Coaliton Framework
was developed for the analysis of complex political processes that involve plenty of stakeholders (Sabatier 1987, 1988; Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith 1993)
is based on five premises (Sabatier 1998):
Scientific and technical information has a central role in the process
A time-span of ten years is needed to understand the change and impacts
The main unit of analysis – subsystem – consists of the actors interested in a specific field of policy
domestic and international actors from different levels of government are involved
Policies and programs can be interpreted as reflections of the actors’ beliefs

6. About the belief system
Deep core beliefs
(E.g. religion, etc…)
Policy core beliefs
Resistant to change, but can be changed if new information is discovered
Secondary aspects
Narrower beliefs about the problem
Resistance to change

7. International influences in ACF
International rules
International norms & discourse
Markets
Direct access to domestic policy process

8. References
Bernstein, S. and Cashore, B. (2000). Globalization, Four Paths of Internationalization and Domestic Policy Change: The Case of EcoForestry in British Columbia, Canada. Canadian Journal of Political Science 33 (1),
Bernstein, S. and Cashore, B. (2012). Complex global governance and domestic policies: four path-ways of influence. International Affairs 88 (3),
Sabatier, P. (1987). Knowledge, Policy-Oriented Learning, and Policy Change: An Advocacy Coali-tion Framework. Knowledge: Creation, Diffusion, Utilization 8(4):
Sabatier, P. (1988). An Advocacy Coalition Model of Polciy Change and the Role of Policy-Oriented Learning Therein. Policy Sciences 21:
Sabatier, P. (1998). The Advocacy Coalition Framework: Revisions and Relevance for Europe. Jour-nal of European Public Policy 5:

9. Thank you!