Advocacy coalitions and the changes in the U.S. foreign trade and energy policies for ethanol in 2011

Author(s)

Laís Forti Thomaz

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Marília. 2016-04-13.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências. Marília
• Defense date: 2016-03-14
• Advisor: Tullo Vigevani; Carlos Eduardo Ferreira de Carvalho

Abstract

The U.S. Congress created key federal incentives for ethanol production in the 1970s and expanded them throughout the following decades. In late 2011 they ended the legislative mandate without renewing these incentives. The research demonstrates 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 is 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 highlight: mapping strategies and initiatives of coalitions; document analysis and legislative content; interviews, analysis of election contributions to campaigns and lobbying during the legislative polls. Although supported by quantitative data, the analysis is based in qualitative research, with emphasis on understanding the causal mechanisms, in order to identify actions developed from external stimuli for change in coalitions. The information and analyses demonstrate the prevalence of internal factors over the external events on the position change Congress on ethanol. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/21975-7 - The advocacy coalitions and changes in the U.S. foreign trade and energy policies for ethanol
• Grantee: Laís Forti Thomaz
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate