The advocacy coalitions and changes in the U.S. foreign trade and energy policies for ethanol

• Grant number: 12/21975-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2013
• End date: March 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - International Politics
• Principal Investigator: Tullo Vigevani
• Grantee: Laís Forti Thomaz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências (FFC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Marília. Marília , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 14/05455-9 - The advocacy coalitions and changes in the u.s. foreign trade and energy policies for ethanol: the influence of internal factors, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

In late 2011, the U.S. Congress ended its activities without renewing key federal incentives for ethanol production, created in the1970s and expanded during the following decades. The research aims to demonstrate that this result was mainly due to changes in coalitions defenses incentives, although external factors have also contributed to the coalitions. Among the internal factors, we highlight changes in the strategies and resources of advocacy coalitions, as well as the interests, perceptions and values of the members who are influential legal authorities who can change a program. Among the external factors we highlight the global leader in ethanol exports, reached in 2011, coalitions of government changes arising from the 2010 elections, changes in public opinion on the debate on biofuels and food, emergence of new energy alternatives and decisions generated in other subsystems, such as budget cuts to reduce the public deficit. The research will be based on the theoretical framework of advocacy coalitions framework that provides appropriate references for the analysis of changes in advocacy coalitions entered into the political subsystem. Based on this theoretical framework, the methodology of the research highlights: mapping strategies and initiatives of coalitions; document analysis and legislative content; interviews, analysis of election donations to campaigns and lobbying, especially during the legislative polls. Although supported by quantitative data, the analysis will be qualitative, with emphasis on understanding the causal mechanisms, in order to identify actions developed from external stimuli for change in coalitions. The hypothesis of the thesis is that information and analyses demonstrate the prevalence of internal factors on the external position change of Congress on ethanol. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

THOMAZ, Laís Forti. Advocacy coalitions and the changes in the U.S. foreign trade and energy policies for ethanol in 2011. 2016. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências. Marília Marília.