Aspects of Advocacy Coalition Framework's guidance instruments

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would first like to express my gratitude for my research supervisor, colleagues, and peers and family whose immense and constant support has been a source of continuous guidance and inspiration.

DECLARATION

I [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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ABSTRACT

The international trade policymaking is a complex issue in a way that different actors are involved to determine the policy outcome. The framework suggests that in the policymaking process, there is a subsystem which consists of coalitions whose actors collide with another who own similar beliefs in order to influence the policymakers. This research uses the Aristotelian model which consists of logos, ethos and pathos to extend the framework through which the rhetoric of coalitions in US FTA IP congressional hearings from 2003 to 2006 can be examined.

The aim of this thesis is to contribute to a better understanding of one of the Advocacy Coalition Framework's guidance instruments aspects: coalitions' rhetoric in the policymaking process. In this research, qualitative method is adopted to discover the rhetoric used by coalitions. FTA is part of the U.S.'s commitment to competitive liberalization which is characterized by multilateral, regional and bilateral trade agreements. At the turn of the 21st century, trade liberalization has emerged as the core principle of trade policy for many countries.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTii

DECLARATIONiii

ABSTRACTiv

CHAPTER NO 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the study1

Significance of the study2

Aims of the study3

Objectives of the study4

Research contributions5

Research Problem and Research Questions5

Research methodology7

Free Trade Agreement8

Background of Free Trade Agreement11

FTA is stronger than TRIPs12

Intellectual Property Provisions (IPP)15

The Pro-Intellectual Property19

The anti-Intellectual Property20

Trade Liberalization21

Developed countries need for trade22

US Congressional hearings on FTA IP pharmaceuticals22

Role of US Congress25

Structure of the thesis26

CHAPTER NO 2: LITERATURE REVIEW28

Theoretical Approach to the Study of Policymaking Process28

Advocacy of Coalition Framework29

Premises30

Beliefs31

Policy Changes33

Concluding remarks34

Previous ACF research36

Guidance Instruments36

ACF in Relation to Coalition Strategies38

Rhetoric39

The need to incorporate rhetoric42

Rhetoric as a guidance instrument43

Rhetoric in hearings44

Impact of rhetoric47

Rhetoric in other fields47

Workplace Smoking Restrictions48

Indoor Smoking51

Youth Access53

Smoking in Airlines53

Aristotle Persuasion Model55

Logos59

Ethos63

Pathos66

Concluding remarks69

Conclusion71

CHAPTER NO 3: METHODOLOGY72

Introduction72

Influences on methodological approaches to research72

Previous research on rhetoric in legislative hearings74

Qualitative methodology employed in this study74

Research design78

Data collection method80

Primary documentary data80

Research sampling84

Report on data compilation steps85

Finding congressional hearings86

Criteria for choosing testimony87

The reliability and validity of documents88

Conclusion89

CHAPTER NO 4: DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS90

CHAPTER NO 5: CONCLUSION92

REFERENCES94

APPENDICES108

CHAPTER NO 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The policymaking for international trade is a complex issue in a way that different actors are involved to determine the policy outcome. It defines as how different actors use rhetoric to approach the policymakers remained to be investigated. In a general sense, one of the prominent theories of policymaking process is the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) initiated by Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith in the 1990s. The framework suggests that in the policymaking process, there is a subsystem which consists of coalitions whose actors collide with another ...