POL 223 Exam
US comparison to Montreal Protocol
"Rather than lead the charge, George HW Bush administration refused to propose or support climate policies, emphasizing instead of scientific uncertainties surrounding the issue" "President Bush made is clear that he would boycott the Earth Summit if negotiators produced a climate convention containing a specific timetable of goals"
According to Kingdon's Multiple Streams Framework, which of the following activities characterizes the Policy Stream?
"Softening up" or arguing over the pros and cons of alternative solutions
Deborah Stone
"The most famous definition of political science says it's the study of 'who gets what, when, and how.'" policy paradox
Regulatory Policy
"X is prohibited, to do Y you must do Z" sometimes called command and control. Advantages : allows a guaranteed target to be reached Dis : restrictions on freedom ; characterizes most of our major environmental policies
Regulatory policy
"command and control" legislation restricting behavior allows us to guarantee achievement of targets costly can address monopoly power and self-interested behavior ( negative externalities and social dilemmas) eg clean air act, endangered species act, superfund act Challenge : regulatory capture
Motivation crowding
"crowd out" pre-existing motivations especially if the extrinsic motivation is perceived as controlling and in violation of a person's autonomy
Acid Rain
"reports suggest that if not controlled, acid rain could render 50,000 lakes in the United States and Canada lifeless by 1995" - layzer
Political analysis key components
1) analyze the distribution of costs and benefits 2) analyze the political institutions that can legitimize the policy 3) look for a potential policy entrepreneur
Competition to define a problem revolves around 3 attributes
1) economic costs and benefits of proposed solutions 2) risks associated with action or inaction 3) scientific understanding of the problem
Layzer's two part argument
1) environmental policy conflicts almost always concern fundamental differences in values 2) the way problems are defined and solutions depicted plays a central role in shaping how those values get translated into policies
Why climate change is so complicated
1) global scale of the problem 2) global scale of coordination 3) intergenerational nature 4) slow-moving crisis 5) GHG emissions at core of modern economy 6) solutions are multiple and complex - no silver bullet 7) worlds most powerful companies are in the energy sector : 7 of the 10 largest companies in the world
Rational Decision model
1. Establish goals and objectives 2. Identify the problem 3. Develop alternative solutions 4. Evaluate the alternatives 5. Choose an alternative 6. Implement the decision 7. Evaluate and control
Thomas Malthus
1798 said human population can outgrow food supply; result will be war, famine, disease. Malthusian theory of population growth
Limits to growth
1972 report based on compute simulation from MIT finite resources plus exponential economic and population growth lead to eventual depletion of resources Critiques : overly pessimistic, underestimates technological innovation Environmental Kuznets curve : cannot assume business as usual
Hazardous Waste in Warren County
1982-NC selects Afton to host landfill for toxic chemicals Warren country was rural poor and largely African American PCBs have high toxicity and linked to health problems more than 500 protestors arrived first prominent example of civil rights and environmental movements joining forces to protect environmental policy decision failed
Babbitt vs. Sweet Home Chapter of Communities for a Great Oregon
1995 ESA cannot harm protected wildlife Babbitt "significant habitat modifications or degradation...kills or injures wildlife" plantiffs argues that congress rejected such a broad definition supreme court sided with secretary (Babbitt)
What is a social dilemma?
A conflict between what is best for the individual and what is best for the collective whole.
Social Dilemma
A situation in which individually rational behavior leads to an outcome where everyone is worse off
When can we say environmental justice is achieved?
A) When everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental hazards B) When everyone possesses equal protection from from health hazards C) When everyone has equal access to the decision making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn and work (answer is all three)
Which side of Abortion/Tornado Politics does former president's George Bush's views on Stem Cell Research align with?
Abortion Politics - He believes that although there is very promising hope for the future, he will not sacrifice a stem cell, a gift of life from our creator.
Which political actor, during his time in the Senate, co-sponsored a bill on environmental justice, later helped negotiate the Kyoto Protocol as vice president, and eventually won a Nobel Prize for his work on building awareness related to climate change?
Al Gore
Now - future
An emphasis on long-term sustainability, the need to reconcile the demands of human society with nature's ability to meet its needs.
The Berlin Mandate
Any legal instrument agreed to at future meeting in Kyoto would impose emissions reductions only on industrialized countries - developing nations would be exempt
Net Metering in Arizona
Arizona passed a net metering policy in 2008 to promote solar renewable energy, only billed for what you use Pubic utility commissioner who would enforce the policy is an elected official
Politics Stream
Bargaining and powering over proposals (instead of arguing) Three core elements: national mood, interest groups, governments Active support of one key policymaker may be enough
What city was the site of a tragic gas leak which helped inspire the passage of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (1986) which established the Toxic Release Inventory in the United States?
Bhopal, India
Chevron vs NRDC 1984
CAA : new stationary sources must use best available technology under ronald EPA took source to mean entire plant NRDC saw this as failure to enforce the law against chevron SC upheld EPA's plant-wide interpretation of stationary source if the law is ambiguous courts should defer to agency interpretations -> gives greater power to exec branch
Massachusetts vs. EPA
CAA regulate any air pollutant that can reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare EPA under GWB declined to act to regulate GHG Mass : climate change presents a threat EPA required to act EPA argued that plaintiffs had not standing to sue harm from GHG emissions is widespread, impossible to establish particular injury traceable to defendant EPAs actions so insignificant to whole cannot be liable
Paris Accord
COP 21 : goal to hold increase in temp to two decrease celsius plus intentions to get down to 1.5 requires action from all countries : developing and developed Nationally determined contributions and regular reports
Government Management
Can address natural resources with an eye toward pubic interest (common resources); provide people with goods and services that are not well provided by the market (public goods) eg government ownership (ntnl and state parks, ntnl forests) service provision (curbside recycling and compost) challenge: mismanagement
Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) were proposed as a policy solution in the New England Fisheries case. Which type of policy below is most similar to the ITQ approach?
Cap-and-Trade
Market Failures
Cases where logic of invisible hand fails, indicate a need for policy intervention
Which of the following is an example of an environmental policy action that was put into place directly by the Executive Branch of the U.S. federal government?
Clean Power Plan
Primary challenges to drive polarization examples
Climate change and clean energy policy were once bipartisan those who supported climate policy began to face primary challenges funded by anti-climate change fell between 2008 and 2011 Bob inglis SC republican
Policy stream
Community of policy experts ; formulation of polocy alternatives ; softening up (arguing over various policy ideas) ; "criteria for survival": technical feasibility, value acceptability, public acquiescence, financial viability
Wind turbines can provide energy to the electrical grid while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but locals feared that the proposed wind turbines to be placed in Nantucket Sound would ruin the landscape and be a nuisance. Which phrase best describes the costs and benefits of the proposed Cape Wind project (as described in this question)?
Concentrated Costs and Diffuse Benefits
Which of the following can best describe this type of political contest—food safety regulation?
Concentrated costs, diffuse benefits
Abortion Politics
Conflict of values ; science used to help justify decision commitments ; pluralism
Hetch Hetchy dam supporters
Conservationists : Gifford Pinchot , gas and electric utlities , the city of san francisco
Checks and balances
Constitutional protections for individual rights; federalism: state powers; three branches of gov
90 - today
Cooperation with business and industry through the use of market-based incentives and voluntary standards instead of direct regulation
Which of the following is NOT true about environmentalists and cornucopians?
Cornucopians emphasizes economic growth in their value system, but all environmentalists believe in protection of nature for nature's own sake
Which of the following is NOT part of a typical series of stages in environmental policymaking process?
Cost Benefit Analysis
Consider the following example of Bounded Rationality and pick the best description for that example: You're tired after taking this quiz for the past 15 minutes and decide to answer this question with C without reading the question, even though C is definitely not the right answer.
Decision fatigue & Information overload
Which of the following statements is true about developing countries (as compared to developed countries like the U.S.) with respect to climate change?
Developing countries have emitted less of the greenhouse gases that drive the problem, and are likely to be affected more by climate change impacts such as food and water insecurity, and increases in infectious disease.
All of the following are ways that interest groups can use their financial resources to influence policy, EXCEPT: (Choose the INCORRECT answer.)
Doing filibuster at Congress
____________ ______ is the fair treatment and ____________ of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Environmental Justice, meaningful involvement
Which of the following is NOT one of the bodies of the United Nations?
Environmental assembly
Which of the following is the closest in meaning to "equity" as covered in this course?
Everyone gets their needs met
Figures in the powerpoint
Excludability vs Rivalry chart , How to think about environmental policy , environmental decade , 1970's info , CWA timeline , EPA and CAA timeline , The Clean Acts , Rational Decision model , Violations of rational self-interest , common behavioral biases , prisoner dilemma , levels of social problems , standard modes of government intervention , types of political contest , acid rain , 1990 clean air act amendments , state actions on environmental policy , RGGI , California , key US environmental policies , astroturfing in kansas and ohio , environmental justice movements in the US , equality equity justice , Flint , Critical transition , UN Environmental policies , US environmental policy timeline , graphs malthus vs boserup , environmental kuznet curve
What constitutes scientific evidence
Experiments : control group vs treatment group, random selection, controlled setting to isolate effect of one factor, replication
Climate change impacts
Extreme weather events, rising sea levels, losses to coastal areas, challenges to food supply, biodiversity loss, drought and forest fires, reduced water quality and quantity, stress to electric grid, conflict and mass migration ie sahara desert
Which of the following would be an example of venue shopping?
Facebook wants the social media app Tiktok to be taken down. Their lobbyists first try to get it outlawed in congress, but fail. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg then decides to meet with the Trump administration and tries to convince them to enact an executive order to outlaw Tiktok.
Cornucopians
Focus on economic growth ; individual freedom ; technological optimism
The Earth Summit in Rio 1992
Framework convention on Climate Change Divided signatories into Annex I and Annex II (developing) nations; former responsible for bulk of emissions lays groundwork for annual Conference of parties Meetings
Which of the following is true about the main argument of chapter 1 in the Layzer textbook?
Framing how the problems are defined and solutions are depicted has strong influence which values prevail in policies selected and implemented AND At the center of most environmental policy disputes are contests over values.
Imagine dam supporters put out a survey asking the public "Considering the devastating earthquake and wildfires the inhabitants of San Francisco have suffered, would you favor providing the city a higher quality water source by building a dam in Hetch-Hetchy Valley?" Using this question, they find high levels of public support for the dam and report this to Congress to sway the decision in their favor. Which POL 223 course concept does this hypothetical example illustrate?
Framing: By framing or presenting the issue in a particular way, the dam supporters were able to sway perceived public opinion toward their preferred outcome, without directly addressing the conflict of values.
Referring back to the Hetch Hetchy reading for class, three options for the dilemma of the Hetch Hetchy watershed were thoroughly explained. Which option was not considered at the time?
Give control to the local people of Hetch Hetchy
The Kyoto Protocol (1997)
Goals : US to reduce emissions by 7% below 1990 levels by 2012 (8% in Europe 6% in Japan) Conflict over requirement for developing countries
In the period BEFORE the 1970s (up to and including the 1960s), which of the following best describes the predominant types of environmental policies being implemented at the national level?
Government ownership - for the creation of parks and protected areas
Climate change basics
Greenhouse effects warm the planet and make it livable industrialization -> fossil fuels -> increasing CO2 in atmosphere more greenhouse gases -> more warming CO2 and temp vary but not this much even with no new GHGs earth would continue to warm up to one degree uncertainty remains about magnitude and distribution of impacts earth as a complex system: non-linearities and tipping points
Precautionary Principle
Heuristic for making decisions when extent of harm is uncertain; approach to risk management "better safe than sorry"
In your case study, Judith Layzer says that the New England fisheries story "illuminates the complexity of managing common pool resources". In order to be considered a "common good" or "common-pool resource" according the definition we discussed in lecture, a fishery would have to be characterized by which of the following?
High Subtractability and Low Excludability
Path Dependence
History Matters; people and policies are subject to inertia, when we are uncertain we stick with what we know; hard to get rid of existing rules, norms, and policies once they exist
Sustainable development
Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable: to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Which of the following (hypothetical) scenarios is an example of NIMBYism?
In Phoenix, Arizona the US Government would like to put a nuclear fission reactor near the city limits, but the town citizens do not want it to be built even though they support nuclear energy.
Which of the following terms best encapsulates the idea that policy change occurs gradually over time, rather than through major shifts?
Incrementalism
Policy entrepeneur
Individuals willing to invest their political resources(time, energy, reputation, money) in linking a problem to a solution and forging alliances among disparate actors to build a majority coalition (claim to be heard, connections or negotiating skill, persistance)
A second-hand car dealer sells a 10-year-old car to a buyer. The buyer, a recent college graduate has little to no knowledge of the car market and what to look out for when buying a second-hand vehicle. He bought the vehicle. 3 months later, his car broke down, and he found out that it has been releasing harmful gases. These gases have been banned by his state. What types of market failures does this example include?
Information Asymmetries and Externalities
The federal government passes a provision requiring all tobacco/nicotine based products to include a warning label on the dangers of using nicotine-based products.
Information Provision
Four common types of market failures
Information asymmetries, monopoly, externalities, social dilemmas
Main policy instruments
Information provision, government management, regulatory policy, market-based policies, nudges
Major actors in environmental policy
Inside government: executive legislative judiciary state and local decision makers civil servants / bureaucrats Outside: experts, scientists, the media, public opinion, social movements, political parties, campaign staff, advocacy organizations, interest groups
Which of the following statements about institutions are true? Check all that apply.
Institutions structure incentives in human exchange, whether political, social, or economic. Institutions are the rules of the game in a society or, more formally, are the humanly devised constraints that shape human interaction. Without effective institutions to limit who can use diverse harvesting practices, highly valued, common-pool resources are overharvested and destroyed.
_________ motivation is enjoyment of the task at hand, while __________ motivation is a means to an end.
Intrinsic, instrumental
Purdueville's government is considering adding a toxic waste disposal site in the center of town. In other locations, this waste disposal facility has been prone to leaking toxins into groundwater sources as well as other problems. However, the government has promised that all of the problems have been remediated. Which option best represents utilizing the precautionary principle? Choose all that apply.
Involve diverse stakeholders in the decision-making process in a participatory manner Don't put in the site because it could potentially harm the surrounding residents
Which of the following is NOT true of the Superfund Act?
It earmarked $1.6 billion which turned out to be more than enough money to clean up all the hazardous waste sites on the National Priority List within 10 years.
Which of the following is true about the "limits to growth" perspective?
It is mainly about recognizing limits to population growth because of the carrying capacity of the earth system. AND It emphasizes the importance of interactions and feedback loops in complex systems
"Perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date has been the Montreal Protocol"
Kofi Annan UN secretary general
Why did supreme court side with Massachusetts and other local governments
MA had standing given projected rise in sea levels act defined pollutant broadly, GHG qualify CAA gives EPA authority to regulate GHGs EPA must ask if anticipated to endanger public health or welfare
Emergence
Macro level phenomena that emerge from behavior of parts at the macro level Essence: the action of the whole is more than the sum of the parts ie beating unpaved paths into grass
Market Failure
Market failure occurs when society tries to deal with certain environmental goods and when social dilemmas and negative environmental externalities are produced.
Joe has been earning a lot of "B+" and "A-" grades in his classes. Joe's parents think he could do even better in the classes, so they start offering a promise of rewards like video games and new clothing whenever Joe earns an "A" or "A+". After offering the reward, the student appears to care less about school and starts earning lower grades, mostly "B" and "B-". Which POL 223 course concept would best explain this outcome?
Motivation Crowding
Kingdon's Metaphor
Multiple streams framework (problem policy and politics streams)
Nudges
No limits on choice, no material incentives, more than just information provision presenting info in particular ways to promote a specific behavior changes to choice architecture knowledge of behavioral biases easy, attract, social, timely can address bounded rationality
Quote on regulatory policy
Often these laws are ambiguous and vague. Situations may arise that the laws' drafters did not anticipate. Hence, judicial interpretation becomes of paramount importance - vig and kraft
Montreal Protocol 1987
On substances that deplete the ozone layer required gradual phase out of ozone depleting substances 197 signatories - first UN treaty to achieve universal ratification CAA amendments supplement to Montreal protocol more rapid phase out of ozone depleting chemicals by 1996, US production of CFCs and halons almost null 2014 elimination of over 98% of controlled ODS ozone hole projected to return to 1950s level
Externalities
One person's actions affect another person's well-being and the relevant costs and benefits are not reflected in market prices
Co-Benefits
Opposite of trade-offs beneficial side effects of policies that go beyond the main intention
Johnathon is looking to invest in real estate. He already owns some properties in one neighborhood and wants to buy another house. It is a nice and safe neighborhood which he is already familiar with. However, he has just gotten word that there is a house for sale, and is much cheaper to buy, in another neighborhood. Johnathon knows nothing about this new neighborhood; its safety or otherwise. Uncertain about what he will do, he decides to stick with his original plan, even though the latter was a very intriguing deal. This is an example of what?
Path Dependence
Which of the following could be characterized as a Nudge?
Peer Comparisons
Bounded Rationality
People do not always act in own self-interest Choices are not always consistent with preferences People are not computers: decision fatigue and information overload ; heuristics, rule of thumb ; behavioral biases
Which of the following is NOT an assumption made by the Multiple Streams Framework?
Political problems, policy solutions, and politics develop dependently together
President Nixon faced an upcoming election and saw Senator Muskie as his likely opponent. This drove competition between them to propose environmental policies that would be popular with the general public. This is most closely related to which 'stream' of the Multiple Streams Framework?
Politics Stream
Environmental Kuznets Curve
Predicted rising and falling inequality environmental hypothesis with growth, spare income and focus on quality of life new technologies some empirical evidence but not proven
State actions on environmental policy
Preventive measures, economic incentives, litigation to influence federal government, reducing greenhouse gases
Ester Boserup
Principal critic of Malthusian theory who argued that overpopulation could be solved by increasing the number of subsistence farmers.
Three models of social dilemmas
Prisoner's dilemma, tragedy of the commons, public goods dilemma
The problem stream
Problem : deviation from ideal and public in nature. Indicators: data informing about conditions. Feedback: information about existing programs. Focusing events: sudden, rare, harmful events that increase the probability of agenda change
Which of the following statements is the MOST correct / accurate description of the politics surrounding federal environmental legislation in the early 1970's?
Propelled by overwhelming public support for environmental regulation, The Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act went through several variations as Democrats worked to write more aggressive regulations than those proposed by Republicans in an attempt for Democrats to reclaim their prowess as environmentally minded candidates.
City parks are typically open to whomever wishes to visit them, and typically many people can enjoy the same park without detracting from each other's use of the park. Which type of environmental good does this describe?
Public good
Which policy entrepreneur is responsible for the reports Vanishing Air and Water Wasteland, which helped raise awareness about pollution and attributed the failures of earlier air and water pollution control laws to government agencies being influenced by the companies they were supposed to be regulating?
Ralph Nader
Fill in the blank: ___________ is when a regulatory agency is heavily influenced by the industry it is meant to regulate.
Regulatory Capture
In order to reduce mining in areas of high ecological importance, the government's environmental agency regulates where companies can mine. However, the head of the agency doesn't enforce the regulation properly after he receives large speaking fees at a conference led and funded by major mining companies. This is an example of what?
Regulatory Capture
The Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, and Superfund Act are all examples of which type of policy instrument?
Regulatory Policy
Who wrote the book Dumping in Dixie, and is often called the "father of environmental justice"?
Robert Bullard
Interest Groups
Role: voting is a noisy signal, citizens have interests and concerns that voting does not convey. organizing in groups facilitates collective action and lobby Concerns: NIMBYism vs legitimate concerns Money and Power: corporate interest vs citizen advocacy groups, environmental justice
Which of the following are true? Select all that apply.
Scientific consensus about a new environmental problem usually develops over a long time horizon. While scientific uncertainties exist, opponents of a policy solution may do cherry-picking on a particular scientific study to argue against that policy solution.
Which of the following is NOT true of the Love Canal Case study?
Scientists had already arrived at a consensus on the link between the waste leakage and health problems in the Love Canal area, but citizens weren't aware of it until the reporter Michael Brown broke the story.
Byrd-Hagel Resolution
Senate would not consent to any agreement that did not require developing countries to participate "we will kill this bill" - Hagel Al Gore signs on behalf of WH but Clinton never submits to Senate Clinton focuses on executive action instead: standards for federally owned vehicles and buildings; campaign to convince the public (relating to the Kyoto Protocol)
Which of the following statements about the United States Congress is FALSE? Choose the incorrect statement.
Senators serve 2 year terms, while House representatives serve 6 year terms.
What did the Clean Air Act of 1970 permit the Environmental Protection Agency to do?
Set and enforce national emissions standards for mobile sources, and establish direct limits on pollutants with known health effects.
Four components of the precautionary principle
Taking preventive action in the face of uncertainty; shifting the burden of proof to the proponents of an activity; exploring a wide range of alternatives to possibly harmful actions; and increasing public participation in decision making.
Risk Perceptions
Technical experts calculate risk in math terms, ordinary people consider risks differently, especially when the decision involves things that are hard to quantify This creates difficulties about how we should handle risks when we're thinking about the public
What argument do "informed defenders of the status quo" use, according to Naomi Oreskes, to diminish the value of groundbreaking scientific information?
That newly developed scientific information lacks reliability or credibility, and is therefore unproven.
What was the first United Nations treaty to achieve universal ratification?
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
Which of the following statements is true about the classic prisoner's dilemma game/metaphor?
The Nash Equilibrium outcome is for both prisoners to betray each other.
Which of the following statements about the judicial branch is FALSE? (Choose the statement that is NOT TRUE.)
The Supreme Court accepts about 50% of cases that request review.
Justice
The cause of inequality was addressed
1970 - 1980
The fight against air and water pollution, through the creation of regulations on industry emissions and waste disposal
All of the following are true about Garret Hardin's "The Tragedy of the Commons" EXCEPT:
The idea of the Tragedy of the Commons, where rational, self-interested individuals inevitably drain common-pool resources in the absence of external intervention, is considered to be universally and indisputably true in all discussions of common-pool resource management.
Dr Robert Bullard
The only place in the country that manufactured methylisocyanate, MIC, the same chemical that killed all those people in Bhopal, India, was in Institute, West Virginia, and Institute is 95% black and has always been 95% black.
The great escape
The unprecedented improvements in human health, knowledge, and material well being that began in the late nineteenth century and accelerated especially in the second half of the twentieth century By the early twenty first century more than 80% of the people on earth had life expectancies higher than those of people in the richest part of the world as recently as 1950
Which of the following is NOT a known reason for CFC's (Cholorofluorocarbons) being phased out relatively quickly with the Montreal Protocol in contrast to current climate policy on the slow-moving crisis of climate-change?
There was no industry that argued that the science was uncertain, or that more research was needed.
Dr Mark Mwandosya of Tanzania
They insisted it would be unfair for developing countries to escape commitments to greenhouse gas emissions reductions because in the future they were likely to be the major emitters" "Very many of us are struggling to attain a decent standard of living for our peoples, and yet we are constantly told that we must share in the effort to reduce emissions so that industrialized countries can continue to enjoy the benefits of their wasteful life style."
The Byrd-Hagel Resolution, which passed 95-0 in the Senate, established what primary reason for not wanting to ratify the Kyoto Protocol?
They would not consent to any agreement that did not set binding targets for developing countries.
1960
Through the 1960s: The conservation of wild lands, through the creation of National Parks and the protection of forests, rivers and trails from development.
Which of the following is NOT a cause of market failure?
Too much competition drives prices too low for the sellers to make money
New and existing factory regulations were addressed differently by the Clean Air act as the following: New factories had to be outfitted with the best available technology, while the regulation of existing factories was left up to the states. The states were to submit state implementation plans outlining a strategy for meeting the standards within a schedule.
True
The Chevron doctrine means that if the law is ambiguous, courts should defer to agency interpretations.
True
The federal courts have the authority to review agency decisions to determine whether they are consistent with congressional intent. This, in effect, constrains an agency's ability to pursue environmentally protective or permissive policies.
True
The key benefit of institutions is that they reduce uncertainty or information cost in human exchange (political, social, or economic) by providing a structure to everyday life.
True
Examples of Public Policy
US Clean Air Act, US Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, State level laws on license requirements and traffic laws, Executive orders, Judicial decisions
Equity
Unequal Treatment: everyone gets the support they need (concept of affirmative action)
Which of the following is NOT a critique of policy revision in the courts?
Uninformed juries can not be trusted to make such important decisions
Bhopal Disaster 1984
Union Carbide (Dow) chemical pesticide plant in Bhopal, India Lower safety standards than sister plant in West Virginia Dec. 1984: accident leaked 30tons of MIC (methyl isocyanate) 2k immediate deaths 15k total deaths 500k with health problems like cancer and neurological damage
North atlantic cod fishery 1497 vs 1992
Waters so full of cod that you could lower a basket into the water and it would come up with cod vs population collapse in 1992 after overfishing since 1950s
Policy Window
When all three streams are ready a policy entrepreneur tries actively to get the streams ready for coupling in order to open one
The prisoner's dilemma
a particular "game" between two captured prisoners that illustrates why cooperation is difficult to maintain even when it is mutually beneficial
Federalism
a political organization in which smaller units of government join to form a larger whole, with political authority distributed among the units - layzer
According to Pigou, as cited in your reading by Cabral, in the case of a positive externality, which of the following is an appropriate way to solve the market failure?
an output subsidy on the product causing the externality
Lobbying
any attempt by individuals or private interest groups to influence the decisions of government but with lots of money, a moneyed interest can hire a full time professional lobbyist
Cherry-picking and confirmation bias
can always find one paper to support your argument Cherry picking is conscious and confirmation bias is not
Rainforests
carbon sequestration soil stabilization, local climate regulation 80% of world's plant and animal species origin of >25% of prescription dugs home to many indigenous groups one third of world's forests eliminated in recent decades ~17% of carbon emissions more than global transportation sector
Clean Power Plan
clean air act requires EPA to develop a list of hazardous air pollutants, develop national emissions standards for each of them, and govern how much of HAPs are allowed to be emitted from industrial facilities and other resources The supreme court ruling (2007) provides legal authority to control greenhouse gas as pollution massachusetts v environmental protection agency obama
Common alternate standard for important questions
clear theoretical mechanisms, elimination of competing explanations, triangulation across multiple pieces of evidence. Eventually scientific consensus
CFCs
commonly found in ac, refrigeration, aerosols by 1980s notable depletion of ozone layer above the poles increased exposure to UV radiation -> skin cancer, cataracts, immune depression, potential effects on agricultural output
Efficient Market
competition = choice buyers and sellers make offers trade occurs only if both sides are happy equilibrium price
Role of science complicated by
conflict of interest, proof vs consensus, long time-horizon, uncertainty and risk perceptions
Environmentalists
conflicts of values within environmentalism ; preservationists, conservationists, interrelatedness, limits-to-growth
sources of environmental law
constitutions ( fed and state) statutes (fed state local) administrative regulations (agencies) treaties (pres and senate) executive orders (pres or governors) appellate court decisions
Institutions
constrain what individuals are prohibited from doing and, sometimes, under what conditions some individuals are permitted to undertake certain activities. Prescriptions that humans use to organize all forms of repetitive and structured interactions. Rules of the game in a society or, more formally, are the humanly devised constraints that shape human interaction (rules)
The United Nations
created in 1945 post WWII mission to preserve peace 193 member states Five bodies : general assembly, secretariat, international court of justice, economic and social council, security council (15 members 5 permanent (US UK China Russia and France) permanent members have veto power ; sc can issue legally binding resolutions)
The chevron doctrine
deference to agency interpretation
Cost-Benefit Analysis
determine costs. calculate benefits, benefits - costs, compare alternatives, select best and implement
Interest group strategies
direct influence (regulatory capture and lobbying) Indirect influence (the courts political parties (partisan polarization) the public ( influencing perceptions of public opinion by policy makers actually influencing public opinion))
Judicial Branch
dual court system : state and federal supreme court has authority over both (9 justices) federal judges serve life-time appointments justices appointed by executive approved by legislature under GW bush alone over 1000 lawsuits against the EPA supreme court accepts less than 2% of requests for review
More on nudges
easy : same day voter registration ; default option attract : gamification of hard actions social : peer comparisons ( electric bill rating relative to neighbors) challenges : misuse manipulation
intrinsic motivation
enjoyment of task at hand
Fill in the blanks: Regional greenhouse gas initiative, renewable portfolio standards, and the legal case of "Massachusetts vs. Environmental Protection Agency" are examples of ______________________ that happened because of ________________.
environmental federalism, lack of action in the congress and executive branch
Extrinsic motivation
external incentives (financial or otherwise)
Rational Choice Theory
given the choice, people will always act in their own self-interest
Information Provision
gives people the information they need to make better choices; people should know what they are getting; if people are aware of problem they may fix it themselves; can address information asymmetries eg pesticide labelling requirements, nutritional labeling, optional labelling certifications
California
global warming solutions act of 2006 created first cap on GHG emissions before RGGI 2007 : western climate initiative w AZ NM OR WA initiated under republican schwarz
Criticisms of the green revolution
health (related to pesticides) environmental (biodiversity) political (economic dependence)
Deborah Stone : policy paradox
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans officials wanted to clear the rubble from city streets, but homeowners sued the city to stop demolition of their homes before they had a chance to search for their possessions (different meanings for the two sides)
Market Based policies
incentives for behavior taxes and subsidies (preserve freedom of choice ; taxes generate revenue) cap-and-trade (target, flexibility for unequal cost, market sets price) can address negative and positive externalities and social dilemmas eg taxes on plastic bags, gas tax, subsidies for solar panels, tax rebates for electric vehicles, clean air act amendments
Gridlock in congress
increasing role of the courts in policy revision
Three sets of resources give president influence
institutional resources, command of public attention, organizational resources
Astroturfing
interest groups creating fake grassroots campaigns corporate interests fund groups and give them names that make them appear as grassroot organizations of ordinary citizens
Precedent
judge-made law that guides and informs subsequent court decisions involving similar or analogous situations
Critiques of policy making through the courts
lack of public participation in important environmental decisions underlying controversy bw parties remains unresolved therefore more lawsuits lifetime terms and personal characteristics -> appointments have enormous influence on long-term policy
government basics
legislative writes the laws executive implements / enforces the laws judicial interprets the laws
Sludges
makes a process more difficult in order to arrive at an outcome eg product rebates that require difficult procedures, subscription cancellations that can only be done with a phone call, complicated or long government student aid application forms
Why was the anti-wind coalition so successful
many permits and approvals needed, veto points at every step (some actors have the power to veto the attempt which means that interest groups have multiple entry points to delay or stop action), gives advantage to status quo
instrumental motivation
means to an end (still internal) pro-environmental motivations pro-social motivations
primary challenges to drive polarization
most congressional seats are safe incumbents can be challenged in party primaries an increase in extreme voter turnout drives candidates further to the extreme
Equity concerns with rainforest
most rainforests are in developing countries poor countries get economic gains from land conservation rich countries drive demand for products (cattle ranching soil beans palm oil) and they have already deforested their own land (in the US 90% of old growth forest in Pacific NW lost due to development) within developing countries, who benefits?
The Green Revolution
new technology, crop varieties, and farming practices were introduced to developing countries unprecedented increase in cc rop productivity
Characteristics of Policy-making in a democracy
policy gridlock, incrementalism, punctuated equilibrium (ie the environmental decade)
cap and trade
preferred policy approach of economists, successfully deployed to cobat acid rain
Hetch hetchy dam opponents
preservationists : John Muir , spring valley water company , farmers and tribes in central valley
Conservationists
preserve nature for future resource sake
Preservationists
preserve nature for natures sake
How to think about environmental policy
problem definition, policy proposal, political analysis
Wind Energy in Cape Cod
proposed offshore wind farm high public support for wind energy, strong anti-wind interest group: alliance to protect Nantucket sound preserve landscapes or fight climate change? Nimbyism or legitimate concerns ie perceived risk or inequity, threats to community integrity, improper decision process
Benefits of institutions
reduce uncertainty by providing structure ; w/o them the transaction costs for exchanges bw human actors would be extremely high
Rivalry
refers to the extent to which one individual's use subtracts from the availability of a good or service for the consumption by others" (Ostrom 2006) (one person's use subtracts from the benefits available to others)
Joe Biden
rejoining the paris agreement infrastructure investment for environmental restoration environmental justice
Excludability
relates to the difficulty of restricting someone who benefit from the provision of a good or service" (Ostrom2006) (easy to exclude others from using)
Environmental policy
set of prescriptions or constraints designed to address such problems with common and public environmental goods
Nash Equilibrium
set of strategies where all players cannot increase their payoff by unilaterally changing their strategy
Clean Power Plan (obama)
set standards for each state to reduce power plant emissions states cannot adopt their own plans for how to meet targets if they do not, EPA's responsibility to enforce limits in that state
Information asymmetry
situation in which one party is more informed than another because of the possession of private information
Tragedy of the Commons
situation in which people acting individually and in their own interest use up commonly available but limited resources, creating disaster for the entire community
Tradeoff
situational decision that involves diminishing or losing one quality, quantity, or property of a set or design in return for gains in other aspects ; choose between two desirable things
Social dilemmas
situations in which individual rationality leads to collective irrationality (peter kollock) Situations where self-interest and public interest work against each other (deborah stone) people following their individually rational best strategy arrive at a suboptimal outcome
federalism and the environment
states control in the Pre-EPA era -> undesirable outcomes states were seen as more easily influenced by local industry not enough being done led to action at federal level
congress modes of resistance
subcommittees can delete legislative provisions during markup committees can prevent a bill from reaching the floor leaders can refuse to schedule a vote on the bill opponents can attach hostile amendments to cripple a bill in the senate opponents can filibuster
Net Metering
system of metering and billing that allows on-site generators to send excess electricity flows to the regional power grid; these electricity flows offset a portion of the electricity flows drawn from the grid
Status Quo Bias
tendency to stick to current situation
Invisible hand
term economists use to describe the self-regulating nature of the marketplace (if we let them do their thing everything will work out for the best)
Executive Branch
the administration the president staff in the executive office responsible to the president political appointees in departments and bureaus responsible to the president
Equality
the assumption is that everyone benefits from the same supports. Policies that are intended to be neutral may have unequal results
Public Policy
the deliberate decisions, actions and nonactions, of a government or an equivalent authority toward specific objectives - christopher weible Further : a generally agreed-to and purposeful course of action that has important consequences for a large number of people and for a significant number and magnitude of resources
Environmental Justice
the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies
The Great Acceleration
the increasing magnitude and global extent of human impacts on nature
Why do we need environmental policy
the marketplace cannot provide public goods, protect common goods, or handle negative externalities
Environmental justice will be achieved when everyone enjoys
the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work."
Framing
the way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments.
Concentrated interests typically win against diffuse
true
Venue shopping
us dispersal of powers can lead to policy gridlock but also multiple points of entry
Tornado Politics
values consensus ; science used to help asses decision alternatives ; technocracy
Limits on State Action
variation in willingness and competence downward race attractive during periods of recession continued dependence on federal support tradeoffs and externality can happen among states NIMBY-ism Cali : strict emission standards, few vehicle jobs ohio and penns depend on coal, pollutants affect new england out-of-state export of solid hazardous nuclear waste
regulatory capture can lead to
weaken the power of regulator policy
government reality
when EPA makes a decision it usually : first, interprets the law in question second, it collects facts third, it uses it discretionary power to apply the law to the facts
