Environmental policy-making: From party competition to bureaucratic politics?

In this article we argue that institutionalisation beginning in the 1970s has moved the most important arena for interest articulation in environmental policy away from parliament to the bureaucracy. We argue that this process can be explained by what we refer to as the 'sector hypothesis', which contends that institutionalisation leads to the development of sectorised institutionalised interests and patterns of cooperation with environmental interests resulting in a higher level of conflict within bureaucracy. The 'sector hypothesis' is contrasted with the 'convergence hypothesis', which argues that conflicts diminish over time as a result of institutionalisation. We support our argument with brief presentations of three cases and surveys carried out in 1976, 1986 and 1996 within the central administration in Norway. The article concludes that the institutionalisation of environmental policy has resulted in the development of a strong sector identity and articulation of environmental interests within the Ministry of the Environment. This institutional strengthening, however, has not resulted in a stronger power base for this Ministry vis-g-vis other parts of the bureaucracy.