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Environmental protection constitutes the most ambitious regulatory commitment in the United States (and most capitalist democracies). It also constitutes one of the most interesting topics for policy and political
analysts for several reasons. First
the policy is inherently complex. It requires the integration of rapidly evolving bodies of scientific and social scientific research. Second, the policy is inherently expensive. Mitigation and control impose large
costs on businesses, creating powerfu
l incentives for mobilization and forcing officials to place a greater emphasis on the costs and benefits of their actions. Third, the policy is increasingly challenged by new problems, both domestic (e.g., the
intersection of civil rights and
environmental policy) and global (e.g., climate change and sustainable development). Reflecting these factors, environmental protection has been under transition for several decades, as policymakers search for new
innovations in policy and institutional
design.
This seminar will explore environmental regulation in the United States. In addition to providing a comprehensive overview of core policies, we will explore several topics including: the philosophical
foundations of environmentalism; the
factors shaping political mobilization in support and in opposition to policy; the difficulties encountered by bureaucratic agencies in managing scientific and social scientific complexity; the efforts to develop
innovative approaches to regulation; and t
he challenges posed by a number of global environmental problems. Although the seminar focuses on environmental protection in the U.S., we will draw on examples of environmental regulation in a number of other nations.
Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS GOVT Grading Mode: Graded
Prerequisites: NONE
Last Updated on MAR-19-2002
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459