Policy change and National Forest Programs: a Swiss experience of coalitions, external and internal events

Abstract

This article aims to understand policy change by analyzing the external and internal events as well as actor resources, actor beliefs and coalitions. Empirically, we have selected the Swiss forest policy system and analyze two consecutive Swiss National Forest Programs and the related revision process of the forest law between 2004 and 2016. Exploring pathways of change according to the Advocacy Coalition Framework, we find that increased actor resources in the form of expertise, finances and political recognition alongside external and internal events – made the forest issue more salient – contribute to a successful policy change. These factors led to an altered actor coalition structure with less clear-cut positions and the shared recognition that change was necessary. The results show how Forest Policy Programs may increase their chances of producing policy change over time, as the first program failed to lead to policy change, while the second was successful. © 2020 Informa UK Limited.