Initial institutionalization of sustainable production in state of Oregon policy; an exploration of regime politics during the Kitzhaber administration, 1995--2002

Worldwide, institutions are incorporating sustainable development discourse into policy. Case studies of regional institutionalizations of sustainable development can inform scholars, policy makers and policy entrepreneurs as they interact with sustainable development agendas. This dissertation examined initial institutionalization of sustainable production in State of Oregon policy and explored the role of regime politics during Governor Kitzhaber's administration, 1995-2002. Discourse analysis, implementation analysis, advocacy coalition analysis and categories and criteria from literatures on policy history and the operationalization of sustainable development were used to analyze the character and strength of Oregon's institutionalization. This research found that, as suggested by regime theory, political actors incorporated business partners in response to problems, challenges and opportunities related to sustainable development. Oregon's regime dynamics, its competing political movements and business coalitions, its situation in a national liberal market economy, its confrontation with a changing global economy and with neoliberalization, all shaped the state's institutionalization of policy and limited the ability and incentives for political actors to initiate a "strong" (explicit) sustainable development policy. However, a consequential integration of interests around a sustainable development concept did occur, Oregon's experience provides lessons for advocates of sustainable development with respect to challenges and potential gains given structural constraints.