Environmental Policy and Politics

by Kraft, Michael E.

• ISBN13: 9780205745371
• ISBN10: 0205745377
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-02-02
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Covering global threats such as climate change, population growth, and loss of biodiversity, as well as national, state, and local problems of environmental pollution, energy use, and natural resource use and conservation, this exciting and unique text covers U.S. policy-making processes, the legislative and administrative settings for policy decisions, the role of interest groups and public opinion in environmental politics, and the public policies that result. Offering a succinct overview and assessment of U.S. environmental policy and politics, Kraft encourages students to judge environmental problems and policy actions for themselves by summarizing extensive collections of scientific studies, government reports, and policy analyses to convey the nature of environmental problems, progress and limitations in dealing with them, and the implications of keeping or revising present policies.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Environmental Problems and Politics	p. 1
Environmental Policy and Politics	p. 5
Perspectives on Environmental Problems	p. 7
Scientific Knowledge and Its Use	p. 7
Economics and Incentives	p. 9
Environmental Values and Ethics	p. 10
The Role of Government and Politics	p. 11
Democracy, Politics, and Environmental Policy	p. 13
Defining Environmental Policy	p. 13
Policy Typologies	p. 14
The Breadth of Environmental Policy	p. 15
Environmental Problems and Public Policy	p. 16
Defining the Problems: The Nature of Environmental Risks	p. 16
Coping with Environmental Risks	p. 19
Public Policy Responses	p. 21
Conclusions	p. 22
Discussion Questions	p. 23
Suggested Readings	p. 23
Endnotes	p. 24
Judging the State of the Environment	p. 26
Air Quality	p. 27
Gains in Air Quality and Remaining Problems	p. 28
Indoor Air Quality	p. 30
Acid Precipitation	p. 31
CFCs and the Stratospheric Ozone Layer	p. 31
Water Quality	p. 32
Pollution of Surface Waters	p. 33
Drinking Water Quality	p. 35
Toxic Chemicals and Hazardous Wastes	p. 36
Toxic Chemicals and Health Effects	p. 36
Hazardous Wastes	p. 39
Contaminated Federal Facilities	p. 40
Radioactive Wastes	p. 41
Solid Waste and Consumer Waste	p. 41
Energy Use and Climate Change	p. 42
The Nature of Energy Problems	p. 42
Fossil Fuels and the Threat of Climate Change	p. 44
Biological Diversity and Habitat Loss	p. 45
Biodiversity Loss and Implications	p. 46
Policy Actions and Effects	p. 48
Population Growth	p. 49
Population and Sustainable Development	p. 49
Growth Rates and Projected Population Increases	p. 51
Conclusions	p. 53
Discussion Questions	p. 53
Suggested Readings	p. 54
Endnotes	p. 54
Making Environmental Policy	p. 59
Understanding Environmental Politics	p. 61
The Policy Process Model	p. 62
Agenda Setting	p. 64
Policy Formulation	p. 67
Policy Legitimation	p. 69
Policy Implementation	p. 71
Policy and Program Evaluation	p. 71
Policy Change	p. 72
Patterns in Environmental Policymaking	p. 74
Characteristics of U.S. Government and Politics	p. 76
Constitutional and Political Features	p. 76
Institutional Fragmentation and Policy Stalemate	p. 77
The Benefits of Dispersed Power	p. 81
Conclusions	p. 85
Discussion Questions	p. 85
Suggested Readings	p. 86
Endnotes	p. 86
The Evolution of Environmental Policy and Politics	p. 88
Natural Resources and Environmental Policies in Historical Perspective	p. 89
The Settlement and "Conquest" of Nature	p. 90
The Conservation Movement and Advances in Public Health	p. 91
From the New Deal to the Environmental Movement	p. 92
The Modern Environmental Movement and Policy Achievements	p. 94
Environmental Interest Groups	p. 97
Public Opinion and the Environment	p. 103
Environmental Issues in Election Campaigns	p. 107
Political Reaction to Environmentalism	p. 108
Environmental Policy in the Reagan and Bush Administrations	p. 108
Clinton and Gore Reform Environmental Policy and Battle Congress	p. 109
George W. Bush and the Environment	p. 110
Conclusions	p. 111
Discussion Questions	p. 112
Suggested Readings	p. 112
Endnotes	p. 113
Environmental Protection Policy: Controlling Pollution	p. 115
The Contours of Environmental Protection Policy	p. 117
The Clean Air Act	p. 117
The Clean Water Act	p. 122
The Safe Drinking Water Act	p. 125
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act	p. 127
The Toxic Substances Control Act	p. 129
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act	p. 130
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act	p. 132
The Institutional Context of Policy Implementation	p. 135
The EPA'S Organization, Budget, and Staff	p. 136
Working with the States	p. 139
Political Support and Opposition	p. 141
Setting Environmental Standards	p. 142
Environmental Goals and Objectives	p. 142
Environmental Quality Criteria	p. 143
Setting Quality Standards	p. 145
Emissions Standards	p. 147
Balancing Statutory Goals and Costs	p. 148
Adopting and Enforcing Regulations	p. 149
Administrative Rule Making	p. 149
Enforcement and Compliance	p. 151
White House Oversight	p. 153
Conclusions	p. 156
Discussion Questions	p. 157
Suggested Readings	p. 157
Endnotes	p. 158
Energy and Natural Resource Policies	p. 163
Energy Policy: Goals and Means	p. 165
Indirect Policy Impacts	p. 166
Shifting Energy Priorities	p. 167
The Energy Policy Cycle: 1973-1989	p. 168
Carter's National Energy Plan and Conservation Gains	p. 168
Reagan's Nonpolicy on Energy	p. 169
Energy Policy for the Twenty-First Century	p. 170
The Bush Administration's National Energy Strategy	p. 171
The Clinton Administration Tries Its Hand	p. 172
Energy Policy Under	p. 174
State and Local Energy Initiatives	p. 178
Natural Resources and Policy Change	p. 178
Environmental Stewardship or Economic Development?	p. 180
The Environmentalist Challenge to Resource Development	p. 181
Natural Resource Policies and Agencies	p. 183
Managing the Nation's Forests	p. 184
Battles over Wilderness	p. 189
Governing the Range	p. 191
BLM Lands and the Sagebrush Rebellion	p. 192
Other Protected Lands and Agencies	p. 193
Environmental Impacts and Natural Resources Decision Making	p. 197
The Endangered Species Act	p. 197
The National Environmental Policy Act	p. 201
Conclusions	p. 203
Discussion Questions	p. 204
Suggested Readings	p. 205
Endnotes	p. 205
Evaluating Environmental Policy	p. 210
Critiques of Environmental Policy	p. 211
Environmental Policy Evaluation	p. 212
Program Outcomes	p. 215
Examining Decision Making and Institutions	p. 215
Signs of Progress	p. 215
Environmental Protection Policies	p. 216
Natural Resource Policies	p. 217
Data Assessment and Public Dialogue	p. 218
Costs, Benefits, and Risks	p. 220
Comparing Risks and Setting Priorities	p. 221
Controversies over Cost-Benefit Analysis and Risk Assessment	p. 222
Environmentalists' Use of Economic Analysis	p. 223
Jobs, the Economy, and the Environment
Employment, Business Costs, and Environmental Policy	p. 226
Seeking Common Ground: Toward Environmental Sustainability	p. 227
Environmental Justice	p. 228
Reforming Environmental Regulation	p. 229
The Case for Policy Alternatives	p. 229
Assessing New Policy Approaches	p. 234
New Directions in Energy and Natural Resources Policy	p. 237
The Appeal of User Fees	p. 238
Privatization of Public Land	p. 238
Social Cost Accounting	p. 239
Government Purchasing Power	p. 240
Ecosystem Management	p. 241
Conclusions	p. 242
Discussion Questions	p. 243
Suggested Readings	p. 243
Endnotes	p. 244
Environmental Policy and Politics for the Twenty-First Century	p. 247
Environmental Goals and Policy Choices: Domestic and Global	p. 248
Three Generations of Environmental Policy and Politics	p. 249
Toward Sustainable Development?	p. 250
The President's Council on Sustainable Development	p. 251
Sustainable Development at State and Local Levels	p. 252
Business and the Environment	p. 253
Citizens and the Environment	p. 255
International Environmental Policy and Politics	p. 255
Environmental Institutions and Policies	p. 256
Institutional Capacity for Global Sustainable Development	p. 262
Political Conflict and Global Environmental Policy	p. 266
Climate Change	p. 267
Protection of Biological Diversity	p. 269
Population Growth and Economic Development	p. 271
Conclusions	p. 274
Discussion Questions	p. 274
Suggested Readings	p. 275
Endnotes	p. 275
References	p. 279
Index	p. 299
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