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- Jonsson, Patrick, 1967-
(author)
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Handelsfrihetens vänner och förbuden : identitet och politisk kommunikation i svensk tullpolitik 1823-1854
- 2005
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Free trade can seem a peculiar thing, it’s both an economical theory and a trade policy, both an ideology and a scientific theory. Much of these tensions can be found already in the writings of Adam Smith. The dissertation focus the political aspect of free trade, and investigates how it was communicated within Swedish trade policy between 1823 and 1854. During this period the prohibitions in the Swedish tariff were subject of a fierce debate within the political system. 1823 a principal decision was taken to abolish them, but not until 1854 and 1857 respectively, one can say it was finally executed. Recent theories on trade policy change, suggests that to explain these kinds of processes, one can’t only look at the primary economic interests behind the change. Institutions and ideas are vital factors as well. My investigation considers these together with the aspects arenas and actors as important together with the more economic factors. The political actors communicated the issue on arenas, and the issue got institutionalised within the political system and was affected by existing institutions. Existing ideas also influenced how the problem was finally solved. The free traders are studied as political communicators where message and identities worked together. Political aspects like virtues, national interests and rhetoric came into play that explains why the change cannot be reduced to the strength of economic interests. In this the British free trade reforms gave the Swedish free traders important tools. In line with developments on the continent during the middle of the century, free trade was adopted and championed as a policy for national enrichment and empowerment. In this the roles played by different actors were important, the main roles were that of statesman and spokesperson for the people, both originated within the British political process. Swedish actors adopted these and transformed them to a Swedish context.
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