Convergent and divergent patterns in cross-national petroleum policies: A comparative analysis of petroleum policies in Norway and Great Britain from the 1960s to the 1990s

Abstract

In this study, I will explore the reasons why petroleum policies in Norway and Great Britain converged in the 1960s and 1970s, but diverged markedly in the 1980s. While this question will be the primary focus of the thesis, I will also explain why the two countries' petroleum policies resumed their convergent tendency in the late 1980s and in the 1990s. In order to understand the transformation from convergent to divergent cross-national tendencies, or vice versa, we must identify what triggers the break from one pattern to another. It is also necessary to establish who the players are, who makes and influences policy, and what elements affect the policy-making process. As already indicated, I am comparing national policies in two countries within a specific timeframe. The importance of the business cycle, so-called long economic waves, international interdependence, and how Norway and Great Britain are affected by the world economy, are not accentuated in this analysis.