Business in the battle of ideas, 1945–1991: conclusions from the Finnish case

Abstract

This article examines the political activity-specifically lobbying and PR efforts-of major Finnish business associations during the Cold War era (c. 1945-1991). The main motivation for business political activity was the threat of socialism and state intervention in their various forms. Based on a qualitative reading of archived documents, this article illustrates a shift from the fear of an outright revolution in the 1940s, through leftist radicalism and economic regulation in the 1970s, to the rise of environmentalism in the 1980s. Influencing efforts were targeted at both politicians and the general public but, towards the end of period studies, shaping public opinion became increasingly important. This article contributes to our knowledge on business-politics links and business political activity as historical phenomena. It points out compelling similarities in the political activity of business in various Western countries and suggests that they should be examined more thoroughly in future research.

The “Hierarchy of Credibility” among Economic Experts: Journalists’ Perceptions of Experts with Varying Institutional Affiliations

“…Such findings support the thesis that journalists are more sceptical of experts who can be seen as spokespeople for or advocates of vested interests (Manning 2001;Miller and Williams 1998, 126). The premise is supported also by the fact that the respondents expressed scepticism towards the expertise of the Finnish Business and Policy Forum EVA, a prominent Finnish pro-market think tank that publishes research reports, analyses and pamphlets (Eva 2020;Wuokko 2017). In the following sections, these dynamics are analysed in a more detailed fashion by drawing on the research interviews with Finnish political and economic journalists.…”