Submitted by Jonas Meckling on
The goal of this joint project with Jonas Meckling is to produce a better understanding of the landscape of environmental and climate advocacy in the U.S. states. In doing so, we will enhance understanding of the determinants of state climate policy, as well as inform practical questions regarding the organization of climate advocacy in the U.S.
Both scholars and activists are increasingly interested in using subnational policy to combat climate change. Despite the free-rider problem, states and localities in the U.S. have made much greater progress on climate policy than the national government. Moreover, depending on their design, subnational policy might produce positive political feedback that can increase momentum for national-level climate policy. For instance, subnational climate policies can increase the power of renewable energy interests that advocate for national-level policies.
Despite its importance, scholars do not have a good understanding of the factors that predict state-level climate policy. Earlier work in climate federalism emphasizes the role of state-level co-benefits in driving climate policies, while more recent work identifies the overwhelming importance of Democratic control of government. This literature has not seriously engaged with the role of organized groups, though it is well known that organized groups are hugely important for policy decisions, especially at the subnational level.
Environmental and climate advocacy groups have grown increasingly prominent in politics over the past several years. At the same time, several long-standing environmental groups have become more climate-focused. Yet, scholars do not have a good idea of how environmental and climate advocacy is distributed across the U.S. states. To fill this gap, we plan to collect much more detailed information on the environmental group eco-system at the state level.
In addition to speaking to academic questions about organized groups and climate federalism, this work speaks to practical questions about the funding of climate and environmental advocacy groups in the U.S. To the extent that we find large mismatches, for instance, between areas of carbon emissions and areas of strong climate advocacy, funders might respond to this work by shifting priorities.
The undergraduate's role will be to help collect and organize data on climate and environmental groups in state politics. This will entail a number of activities, including but not limited to:
Identifying groups that work on environmental and climate issues
Researching the types of activities groups are engaged in
Recording variables like number of staff and organizational budgets
Determining in which states particular groups are active
We are looking for an undergraduate with a demonstrated interest in the politics of environmental and climate policy. Good candidates will be diligent and attentive to detail, as well as self-motivated and able to take initiative.