Coalitions in conflict: variation in subnational responses to national environmental policies in multi-level contexts

FIGUEROA, LUCAS M.

Ginebra

Jornada; PhD Colloquium ? Autumn 2022; 2022

Geneva Graduate Institute

In Latin America, the enforcement of environmental policies tends to have different effects not only among different countries, but also among subnational units within the same country. In several countries of the region (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico), environmental policies are a subnational competence. A relevant example is the implementation of the National Forest Law in Argentina (2007) that proposed reducing deforestation. However, subnational regulation of this law and its practical effects have had variations within the country. Thus, a relevant question is why do subnational units implement national environmental policies in different ways? The main argument is that subnational variation is determined by the resolution of the confrontation between two coalitions (protectionist and productivist coalitions) during the two moments of the implementation process at the subnational level. I argue that the influence of coalitions on this process depends on their composition, and dynamics. The dynamic is characterized by a constant search to incorporate new actors and resources throughout the implementation process. To discuss this argument in relation in the light of the selected cases, I applied different data collection technics: open and semi-structured interviews, participant observation and documentary analysis.