This article examines policy making processes in the area of teacher education (TE) in Finland and Norway. Particular attention is given to the roles different actors play in these processes and the potential effects of their involvement on the TE programs in the two countries. Contemporary policy processes are analyzed through a set of interviews with profiled and experienced policy makers in the area in question. The analyses show that TE policy processes in Norway rely heavily on political actors and changes in political conditions, while Finnish TE policy processes rely more on academic expertise in the development of TE policies.