Date of Award

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Alcock, Frank

Keywords

Costa Rica, Cuba, Forest Performance, Forestry

Area of Concentration

Political Science

Abstract

This thesis examines democratic institutions in Costa Rica and Cuba and their impact on forestry policy and performance. This analysis consists of two case studies in which the process of the development of environmental and forest policies and reforms are traced. In this comparative study, the questions asked are: Are political institutional processes helping or hindering forestry management in Costa Rica and Cuba? If so, how? And, how does variation in political institutions affect the forestry management outcomes we observe? The Yale Environmental Performance Index indicates a prima facie puzzle with respect to the performance indicators for Costa Rica and Cuba. The study examines the role of the institutional processes in forest performance through a set of causal forces: societal influence, executive influence, and whose preferences. Despite different institutional processes, similar performance results are found. Additionally, this thesis illustrates the prioritization of forest performance goals when it is tied to preferences from society, the executive, and to some extent international organizations.

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