POLS 624: Environmental Politics and Policy
Fall 2001, Section 32865
Department of Political
Science
University of Kansas
Professor
Haider-Markel MWF
12:30-1:20
Email:
prex@ku.edu Rm.
207 Blake
Office
Hours: 1:30-3 MWF Office:
405 Blake
or by appointment Phone:
864-9034
web:
http://lark.cc.ukans.edu/~prex/
Purpose and Goals of the
Course
The purpose of this course is to
provide you with knowledge of environmental politics and the formulation and
implementation of environmental policy in the United States. We will examine the history and development
of environmental politics and policy, as well as current issues and
trends. Issues and themes will include
environmental movements and interest groups, the interaction between business,
environmental groups, and political institutions, and the role of environmental
issues in the current political landscape.
The course will emphasize the policy process rather than the specific
details of environmental regulations.
When possible, we will examine environmental politics and policy at the
sub-national level and internationally.
Students will be assessed on the ability to understand the issues and
the policy process, as well as think critically about these issues.
Grading and Responsibilities
Class
Participation and Reading Assignments: Class Weeks will be a mix of lecture and
seminar. A student’s grade will reflect his or her participation in class. Participation not only includes showing up
for class but also having completed the reading assignments and actively using
this material to engage your fellow students (and myself) in discussion. If you miss class on a regular basis or for
an extended period for any reason,
you should contact me as soon as possible.
Waiting to explain absences at the end of the semester will not suffice.
The reading assignments are listed
below in the course outline. All
students are expected to complete the
required readings prior to each class Week. I am also
providing a list of supplemental readings that students can use for their
research (located on my web site). Note
that I will occasionally supplement our discussion with newspaper articles that
will be sent to you via e-mail; students are encouraged to tie these articles
into our discussion. I also strongly recommend
that students regularly read and view national news.
The following books are required
reading and are available for purchase in the bookstore:
Rosenbaum,
Walter A. 2002. 5th ed. Environmental
Politics and Policy. Washington,
DC: CQ Press.
Vig,
Norman J., and Michael E. Kraft.
2000. 4th ed. Environmental
Policy.
Washington, DC: CQ Press.
In addition I have put
together a required reading packet for the course. The packet is available for reading/photocopying
in the Department of Political Science, 504 Blake Hall. If your financial situation makes it
difficult for you to buy the books or photocopy the reading packet, please let
me know as soon as possible.
(Special/Short)
Assignments: During the semester I require students to
complete three assignments beyond the required reading and research paper. These assignments can take the form of
mini-quizzes or writing assignments. I
will determine the type of assignment based on overall class performance and
participation. However, one of the
assignments will be to write an abstract for your research paper. Please note that these assignments account
for 20% of your grade (6.67% each). If
you miss even one of these assignments it could cost you a whole grade.
Exams: There will be one long
exam at midterm covering all the material up to that point. Although there will not be a formal final
exam, you may have upwards of two quizzes during the semester. Any quiz would be counted as a short (special)
assignment (see above).
Policy
Memorandum:
Near the end of the semester you will have a take home essay exam. For the essay you will examine the political
and policy contours of a specific environmental policy issue and prescribe
avenues of action. You will be provided
with detailed instructions on the memorandum later in the semester.
Research
Paper: Each student will be required to write a
research paper on some aspect of environmental politics and/or policy. The paper can use portions of the course
readings but you must make use of sources other than those assigned for the
course. I will provide you with more
detailed instructions concerning content, format, and length early in the
semester. You will be provided with a
list of possible research topics but you are free to choose a topic on your
own. Each student is required to clear
a research topic with me. The
research papers are due: Dec. 17, 4 p.m.
Final
Grades will be determined on the following basis:
Class Participation 10%
3 Short Assignments 20% (6.67% each)
Midterm Exam 30%
Research Paper 30%
Missing assignments, exams, etc. will
normally be counted as zero.
However, based on the situation, I may allow late assignments/papers to
receive some credit. In such a case
points will be deducted on a daily basis.
Only serious emergencies, such as a student or family long-term illness,
constitute grounds for an incomplete.
If you face a significant emergency during the semester you should
contact me as soon as possible. You
should also contact me as soon as possible if you think you will be late on an
assignment for any reason.
Students with Disabilities
Any student who has a disability
that may prevent him/her from fully demonstrating her/his abilities should
contact me personally as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations
necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate the educational
opportunity. Informing me of a
disability at the end of the semester will not allow me to accommodate your
needs.
Instructor Availability
Students wishing to meet with me can
do so before or after class, during office hours (listed at top of first page),
or by appointment. My time is flexible
and I can arrange to meet with you on your schedule. Remember I am available to you as a resource--take advantage of it.
Please be aware that the easiest way to reach me is via e-mail (top of
page 1)--I check my e-mail several times a day.
Course Outline
and Weekly Schedule
Aug. 24
Week 1: Introduction to the Course
No assigned readings
Aug. 27-31
Week 2: Overview of
Environmental Politics and Policy
No Class August 29 or 31
Rosenbaum, 1998. Chapter 1
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Preface & Chapter 1 (Kraft and
Vig)
Sep. 3-7
Week 3: The Environmental
Movement and Environmental Groups I
Rosenbaum, 1998. Chapter 2 (skim)
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Chapter 3 (Bosso)
Reading Packet
Bryner, Gary C. 2001.
Gaia’s Wager: Environmental
Movements and the
Challenge of Sustainability. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield. (read
Chapter 2).
Johnson, Paul E. 1998.
“Interest Group Recruiting: Finding Members and
Keeping Them.” In Interest
Group Politics, 5th ed. Allan
J. Cigler and Burdett A. Loomis.
Eds. Washington, DC: CQ Press.
Sep. 10-14
Week 4: The Environmental
Movement and Environmental Groups II
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Chapter 16 (Vogel)
Reading Packet
Bosso, Christopher J. 1995.
“The Color of Money: Environmental Groups
And the Pathologies of Fund
Raising.” In Interest Group Politics,
5th ed. Allan
J. Cigler and Burdett A. Loomis.
Eds. Washington, DC: CQ Press.
Denson, Bryan and James Long. 1999.
Four part series on Eco-Terrorism
For The Oregonian (you can get this online as well)
Newspaper articles on the Green
Party, July 2001.
Sep. 17-21
Week 5: Environmental
Issues, Public Opinion, and Citizen Participation
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Chapter 4 (Paehlke)
Reading Packet
Inglehart, Ronald. 1981. “Post-Materialism in an Environment of
Insecurity.”
American
Political Science Review 75(4):880-900.
Davis, Darren. 2000. “Individual-Level Examinations of
Postmaterialism in the
US: Political Tolerance, Racial
Attitudes, Environmentalism, and Participatory
Norms.” Political Research
Quarterly September 2000
Grant, Don Sherman, II. 1997.
“Allowing Citizen Participation in Environmental
Regulation: An Empirical Analysis of
the Effects of Right-to-Sue and Right-to-
Know Provisions on Industry’s Toxic
Emissions.” Social Science Quarterly
78(4):859-873.
Sep. 24-28
Week 6: The Environmental Policy Process: The President
Rosenbaum, 1998. Chapter 3 (covers
next several weeks)
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Chapter 5 (Vig)
Reading Packet
Kraft, Michael E., and Norman J.
Vig. 1984. “Environmental Policy in the
Reagan Presidency.” Political Science Quarterly
99(3):415-439.
Oct. 1-5
Week 7: The Environmental
Policy Process: Congress
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Chapter 6 (Kraft)
Reading Packet
Shipan, Charles R., and William R.
Lowry. 2001. Environmental Policy
And Party Divergence in
Congress.” Political Research Quarterly 54(2):245-263.
Oct. 8-12
Week 8: The Environmental
Policy Process: The Courts
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Chapter 7 (McSpadden)
Reading Packet
Ringquist, Evan J., and Craig E.
Emmert. 1999. “Judicial Policymaking
In Published and Unpublished
Decisions: The Case of Environmental
Civil Litigation.” Political
Research Quarterly 52(1):7-37.
Oct. 15-19
Week 9: The Environmental
Policy Process: The States
Fall Break, no class Oct. 19
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E. Kraft. 2000.
Chapter 2 (Rabe)
Reading Packet
Bacot, A. Hunter, and Roy A.
Dawes. 1997. “State Expenditures and Policy
Outcomes in Environmental Program
Management.” Policy Studies Journal
25(3):355-370.
Cohen, Nevin. 1997.
“The Politics of Environmental Risk: Perceptions of
Risk Assessment in the State
Legislatures.” Policy Studies Journal 25(3):
470-484.
Oct. 22-26
Week 10: Policy Implementation: The Bureaucracy and
Intergovernmental Relations
Midterm examination Oct. 24
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Chapter 8 (Rosenbaum)
Oct. 29-Nov. 2
Week 11: Environmental
Justice, Decisionmaking, and Risk Assessment
Rosenbaum, 1998. Chapters 4 & 5
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Chapter 10 (Andrews)
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Chapter 11 (Ringquist)
Nov. 5-9
Week 12: Air and Water Pollution
Rosenbaum, 1998. Chapter 6
Reading Packet
Smith, Zacary A. 1992.
The Environmental Policy Paradox. Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall (read
Chapters 5 & 6).
Nov. 12-16
Week 13: Toxic and Hazardous
Substances
Rosenbaum, 1998. Chapter 7
Reading Packet
Switzer, Jacqueline Vaughn, and Gary
Bryner. 1998. 2nd ed. Environmental
Politics: Domestic and Global Dimensions. New York: St. Martin’s
Press.
(read Chapter 5)
Nov. 19-23
Week 14: Energy Policy and
Politics
Rosenbaum, 1998. Chapter 8
Reading Packet
Eisner, Marc Allen, Jeff Worsham,
and Evan J. Ringquist. 2000. Contemporary
Regulatory Policy. Boulder, CO:
Lynne Rienner. (read chapter 10).
Policy
Memorandum Due: November 19 (in class); no class Nov. 21-23
Nov. 26-30
Week 15: The Debate Over
Public Lands
Rosenbaum, 1998. Chapter 9
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Chapter 14 (Lowry)
Reading Packet
Switzer, Jacqueline Vaughn. 1997.
Green Backlash: The History and
Politics
Of Environmental Opposition in the U.S. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner. (read
chapter 8, the Wise Use Movement).
Dec. 3-7
Week 16: Global Environmentalism
Rosenbaum, 1998. Chapter 10
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Chapter 13 (Hempel)
Dec. 10 and 12 (Dec. 13 is
last day for all classes)
Week 17: Predictions and Prescriptions for the Future
Rosenbaum, 1998. Chapter 10
Vig, Norman J., and Michael E.
Kraft. 2000. Chapter 17 (Vig and Kraft)
Research Paper
Due: Monday, December 17, 4 p.m. (in my office (405 Blake) or
mailbox (504 Blake))