Taloudelliset eturyhmät neuvotteluprosesseissa : Suomen kauppasopimuspolitiikka 1920-1930-luvulla

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to analyze the role of the central economic interest groups in the Finnish trade agreement negotiations during the interwar period. Most important of these groups were the export industries (Central Federation of Finnish Woodrefining Industries), domestic market industries (Federation of Industries), and agricultural producers (Central Federation of Agricultural Producers and central dairy, Valio). A key starting point was to review both the intergovernmental negotiations as well as negotiations between the domestic interest groups. The theoretical and conceptual starting point selected for the research was the theory of public choice. Here it is defined as an research framework in which methods of economics are utilized to analyze political decision-making. Trade agreements are defined as public goods from the perspective of public choice. The single most important problem in this research was what kind of impact the economic interest groups emphasized by the public choice theory had on the outcome of trade agreement negotiations. Trade agreement negotiations were intergovernmental; thus, the impact of domestic interest groups were compared to the negotiation position of the opponents. The starting point was that the possibilities of interest group to exert influence were limited if the opposing side's economic and political position was superior. The research problems were analyzed through negotiation case-studies which showed that the members of the interest organizations dominated the negotiation groups and had very strong influence also in the ratification process. Especially export-industries and the agrarians benefited from the situation. Home-market industries had more troubles in their pressure action partly, because the member structure of the Federation of Industries was more heterogeneous than the one of agrarians and export-industries.