Citizens' view of legitimacy in the context of Finnish forest policy

Published Date
March 2013, Vol.28:52–59, doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2013.01.004

Author 

• Annukka Valkeapää ^a,,
• Heimo Karppinen ^b,1,

• aUniversity of Helsinki, Department of Social Research, Po. Box 54, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
• bUniversity of Helsinki, Department of Forest Sciences, Po. Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland

Received 11 July 2012. Revised 31 December 2012. Accepted 1 January 2013. Available online 11 February 2013. 

Abstract

The goal of forest policy is to enhance sustainable production of the material and immaterial benefits of forests to serve the needs of all citizens. A theoretical model for explaining the formation of legitimacy in a certain political sector was developed and empirically tested in the context of Finnish forest policy. Nationwide mail survey data was used to determine the differences in the perceptions of forest policy by Finnish forest owners and other citizens. The questionnaire measured the legitimacy of the forest policy, the acceptance of laws, the justice of the procedures, the fairness of power relations, the acceptance of forestry operations and the competence in forest policy issues. Overall legitimacy was evaluated positively, and the forest owners considered forest policy in general to be more acceptable than other citizens did. The most criticized aspects of forest policy were the justice of the procedures and the use of clearcutting. Procedural justice and acceptance of forestry operations were the strongest explanatory factors for the legitimacy. Acceptance of the power relations of different stakeholder groups explained legitimacy for non-owners but not for forest owners. In both groups, forest policy competence led to a more negative evaluation of legitimacy.

Graphical abstract

Highlights

► Procedural justice and acceptance of forestry operations explained the legitimacy. ► Forest owners were in general more content with forest policy than non-owners. ► Justice of the procedures was criticized, especially equal treatment of stakeholders. ► Clearcutting and even-aged forest management were criticized. ► Forest policy competence led to a more negative evaluation of legitimacy.

Keywords

• Legitimacy
• Survey
• Citizens
• Forest owners
• Forest policy
• Participation

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