GV591-6-AU-CO:
International Environmental Politics

The details
2019/20
Government
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Thursday 03 October 2019
Saturday 14 December 2019
15
20 February 2020

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

(none)

Module description

This module offers a comprehensive introduction to the understanding of the domestic politics of environmental problems in a comparative (cross-national as well as sub-national) perspective.

The module begins by examining domestic views on the state of the environment and possible paths along which these views might change. We then move on to consider environmental politics at various different levels of political behaviour and organisation, starting with individual-level values, before moving up the organized politics of the environmental movement, interest groups, political parties, governmental institutions and courts.

At each level we consider what drives approaches to the environment and what the consequences of those approaches are for political organisation and action.

Module aims

• To provide students with the necessary analytical foundations to conduct theoretical and empirical comparative research on the environment.
• To engage with a wide range of applied material relating to comparative environmental politics.
• To generate ideas and design a study that engages with contemporary environmental issues in a theoretically sound and empirically aware perspective.

Module learning outcomes

Students will learn how political scientists tackle questions such as: ‘when do businesses and social movements support environmental policy?’ and ‘why are some government more “green” than others?’. They will also learn how to use empirical evidence to test major political theories of environmental politics.

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

2 hour lecture. Lectures are used to introduce ideas and topics. These will be followed by class discussion. Some topics will be covered using class presentations by students. At other times we will initiate round-table discussions based on members of the class all reading and thinking about a particular topic. We will often distribute lecture notes. These are intended to introduce significant concepts and arguments but are not a substitute for you doing the set reading.

Bibliography

  • Bernauer, Thomas. (2013) 'Climate Change Politics', in Annual Review of Political Science. vol. 16 (1) , pp.421-448
  • Vogel, David. (2008-06) 'Private Global Business Regulation', in Annual Review of Political Science. vol. 11 (1) , pp.261-282
  • Harrison, Kathryn; Sundstrom, Lisa McIntosh. (c2010) Global commons, domestic decisions: the comparative politics of climate change, Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
  • Hasenclever, Andreas; Mayer, Peter; Rittberger, Volker. (1997) Theories of international regimes, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. vol. 55
  • O'Riordan, Timothy; Jordan, Andrew. (1995) 'The Precautionary Principle in Contemporary Environmental Politics', in Environmental Values: White Horse Press. vol. 4 (3)
  • Fariborz Zelli; Harro van Asselt. (2013) 'The Institutional Fragmentation of Global Environmental Governance: Causes, Consequences, and Responses', in Global Environmental Politics. vol. 13 (3) , pp.1-13
  • Carter, Neil. (2007) The politics of the environment: ideas, activism, policy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Ward, Hugh. (2006) 'International Linkages and Environmental Sustainability: The Effectiveness of the Regime Network', in Journal of Peace Research: Sage Publications, Ltd. vol. 43 (2) , pp.149-166
  • Herbert P. Kitschelt. (1986) 'Political Opportunity Structures and Political Protest: Anti-Nuclear Movements in Four Democracies', in British Journal of Political Science: Cambridge University Press. vol. 16 (1) , pp.57-85
  • O'Neill, Kate. (2017) The environment and international relations, Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
  • Bernauer, Thomas; Koubi, Vally. (2009-3) 'Effects of political institutions on air quality', in Ecological Economics. vol. 68 (5) , pp.1355-1365
  • Jennifer Clapp. (2002) 'What the Pollution Havens Debate Overlooks', in Global Environmental Politics. vol. 2 (2) , pp.11-19
  • Morin, Jean-Frédéric; Jinnah, Sikina. (2018) 'The untapped potential of preferential trade agreements for climate governance', in Environmental Politics. vol. 27 (3) , pp.541-565
  • Jensen, Christian B.; Spoon, Jae-Jae. (2011-03) 'Testing the ‘Party Matters' Thesis: Explaining Progress Towards Kyoto Protocol Targets', in Political Studies. vol. 59 (1) , pp.99-115
  • Ronald B. Mitchell. (2010) International politics and the environment, London: SAGE.
  • Carter, Neil. (2018) The politics of the environment: ideas, activism, policy, New York: Cambridge University Press.
  • Ringquist, Evan J.; Kostadinova, Tatiana. (2005) 'Assessing the Effectiveness of International Environmental Agreements: The Case of the 1985 Helsinki Protocol', in American Journal of Political Science. vol. 49 (1) , pp.86-102
  • Edward L. Miles. (2002) Environmental regime effectiveness: confronting theory with evidence, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
  • Stavins, R.; Whitehead, B. (2005) 'Market-Based Environmental Policies', in Debating the earth: the environmental politics reader, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Gehring, Thomas; Oberthür, Sebastian. (2009-03) 'The Causal Mechanisms of Interaction between International Institutions', in European Journal of International Relations. vol. 15 (1) , pp.125-156
  • Dechezleprêtre, Antoine; Sato, Misato. (2017) 'The Impacts of Environmental Regulations on Competitiveness', in Review of Environmental Economics and Policy. vol. 11 (2) , pp.183-206
  • Gleditsch, Nils Petter; Nordås, Ragnhild. (2014-11) 'Conflicting messages? The IPCC on conflict and human security', in Political Geography. vol. 43, pp.82-90
  • O'Neill, Kate; dawsonera. (2009) The environment and international relations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Abbott, Kenneth W.; Snidal, Duncan. (2000) 'Hard and Soft Law in International Governance', in International Organization: The MIT Press. vol. 54 (3) , pp.421-456
  • Helm, Carsten; Sprinz, Detlef. (2000) 'Measuring the Effectiveness of International Environmental Regimes', in The Journal of Conflict Resolution: Sage Publications, Inc. vol. 44 (5) , pp.630-652
  • Bernauer, Thomas. (2013) 'Is There a ‘Depth versus Participation’ Dilemma in International Cooperation?', in Berlin Conference on Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change.
  • Spoon, Jae-Jae; Hobolt, Sara B.; de Vries, Catherine E. (2014-05) 'Going green: Explaining issue competition on the environment', in European Journal of Political Research. vol. 53 (2) , pp.363-380
  • Michèle B. Bättig; Thomas Bernauer. (2009) 'National Institutions and Global Public Goods: Are Democracies More Cooperative in Climate Change Policy?', in International Organization: Cambridge University Press. vol. 63 (2) , pp.281-308
  • Gabriele Spilker; Vally Koubi. (2016) 'The effects of treaty legality and domestic institutional hurdles on environmental treaty ratification', in International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics. vol. 16 (2) , pp.223-238
  • Aklin, Michaël. (2015) 'Re-Exploring the Trade and Environment Nexus Through the Diffusion of Pollution', in SSRN Electronic Journal.
  • Bechtel, Michael M.; Scheve, Kenneth F. (2013) 'Mass support for global climate agreements depends on institutional design', in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America: National Academy of Sciences. vol. 110 (34) , pp.13763-13768
  • Murdoch, James C.; Sandler, Todd. (1997) 'The voluntary provision of a pure public good: The case of reduced CFC emissions and the Montreal Protocol', in Journal of Public Economics. vol. 63 (3) , pp.331-349
  • John A. List; Daniel M. Sturm. (2006) 'How Elections Matter: Theory and Evidence from Environmental Policy', in The Quarterly Journal of Economics: Oxford University Press. vol. 121 (4) , pp.1249-1281
  • So Young Kim; Yael Wolinsky-Nahmias. (2014) 'Cross-National Public Opinion on Climate Change: The Effects of Affluence and Vulnerability', in Global Environmental Politics. vol. 14 (1) , pp.79-106
  • Barnett, Jon; Adger, W. Neil. (2007) 'Climate change, human security and violent conflict', in Political Geography. vol. 26 (6) , pp.639-655
  • Hawken, P.; Lovins, A.; Lovins, L. Hunter. (2005) 'The Next Industrial Revolution', in Debating the earth: the environmental politics reader, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Buhaug, Halvard. (2010) 'Climate not to blame for African civil wars', in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America: National Academy of Sciences. vol. 107 (38) , pp.16477-16482
  • Bernauer, Thomas; Kalbhenn, Anna; Koubi, Vally; Spliker, Gabrielle. (2010) 'A Comparison of International and Domestic Sources of Global Governance Dynamics', in British Journal of Political Science: Cambridge University Press. vol. 40 (3) , pp.509-538
  • Bohringer, Christoph. (2003) 'The Kyoto Protocol: A Review and Perspectives', in Oxford Review of Economic Policy. vol. 19 (3) , pp.451-466
  • Yoshiki Yamagata; Jue Yang; Joseph Galaskiewicz. (2017) 'State power and diffusion processes in the ratification of global environmental treaties, 1981–2008', in International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics. vol. 17 (4) , pp.501-529
  • Deborah Rigling-Gallagher; Erika Weinthal. (2012) 'Business-State Relations and the Environment: The Evolving Role of Corporate Responsibility', in Comparative environmental politics: theory, practice, prospects, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press., pp.143-170
  • Szakonyi, David; Urpelainen, Johannes. (2014-07) 'Who Benefits From Economic Reform? Firms and Distributive Politics', in The Journal of Politics. vol. 76 (3) , pp.841-858
  • Koremenos, Barbara; Lipson, Charles; Snidal, Duncan. (2001) 'The Rational Design of International Institutions', in International Organization: The MIT Press. vol. 55 (4) , pp.761-799
  • Amandine Orsini; Jean-Frédéric Morin; Oran Young. (2013) 'Regime Complexes: A Buzz, a Boom, or a Boost for Global Governance?', in Global Governance. vol. 19 (1) , pp.27-39
  • Garrett Hardin. (3859) 'The Tragedy of the Commons', in Science: American Association for the Advancement of Science. vol. 162, pp.1243-1248
  • Aldy, Joseph E.; Kotchen, Matthew J.; Leiserowitz, Anthony A. (2012-8) 'Willingness to pay and political support for a US national clean energy standard', in Nature Climate Change. vol. 2 (8) , pp.596-599
  • Michele M. Betsill; Harriet Bulkeley. (2004) 'Transnational Networks and Global Environmental Governance: The Cities for Climate Protection Program', in International Studies Quarterly: Wiley. vol. 48 (2) , pp.471-493
  • Gullberg, Anne Therese. (2008-8) 'Lobbying friends and foes in climate policy: The case of business and environmental interest groups in the European Union', in Energy Policy. vol. 36 (8) , pp.2964-2972
  • Böhmelt, Tobias; Spilker, Gabriele. (2016) 'The interaction of international institutions from a social network perspective', in International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics. vol. 16 (1) , pp.67-89
  • Neumayer, Eric. (2003-6) 'Are left-wing party strength and corporatism good for the environment? Evidence from panel analysis of air pollution in OECD countries', in Ecological Economics. vol. 45 (2) , pp.203-220
  • David Schlosberg; David Carruthers. (2010) 'Indigenous Struggles, Environmental Justice, and Community Capabilities', in Global Environmental Politics. vol. 10 (4) , pp.12-35
  • Goodin, R. (2005) 'Selling Environmental Indulgences', in Debating the earth: the environmental politics reader, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Walley, NoahWhitehead, Bradley. (no date) 'It's Not Easy Being Green.', in Harvard Business Review. vol. 72 (3) , pp.46-51

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course. The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students. Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Research Paper    55% 
Practical   Class Discussion    5% 
Practical   Class Presentation 1    20% 
Practical   Class Presentation 2    20% 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Tobias Bohmelt, email: tbohmelt@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Genovese
tbohmelt@essex.ac.uk Module Administrator: Sallyann West, govquery@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
No
Yes
No

External examiner

Dr Arzu Kibris
University of Warwick
Associate Professor
Dr Patrick Bayer
University of Glasgow
Lecturer in International Relations
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 18 hours, 18 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

 

Further information
Government

Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.