Overview
Politics is a process where various actors seek to protect and promote their interests. The central question for this course is whether environmental politics is different from other types of politics. Does the problem of environmental protection produce a political dynamic intrinsically different from other issue of public policy e.g., transportation or education? The environment is generally considered a settled issue in American politics with strong, consistent public support for a safe and healthy environment. Yet this support is often
shallow and influenced greatly by other events or economic conditions. And while many environmental problems are not difficult to recognize (pollution sources are often easy to identify and solutions do not pose insurmountable technical/scientific difficulties), deciding what to do about a problem is a much more difficult challenge that raises a number of awkward political issues-the most notable being the determination of winners and losers. Beyond this fundamental challenge, there are several addition reasons why environmental politics can be considered different from other types of politics:
1) Environmental issues are intergenerational;
2) There is still much that is unknown about cause and consequence;
3) Environmental problems know no boundaries;
4) Involves great number of government activities and economic sectors.
Objectives
After completing this topic you will have an introduction to the thematic core of the course and an increased understanding of environmental protection as a policy issue.
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Web
Lecture
Environment as Policy Issue |
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High
Low
Notes