The political economy of climate change Flashcards
Citizens want actions but global mitigation efforts are weak why?
- Absence of a world government (nation-states free ride)
- Short time horizon of politicians
- Political process is captured by special interests
What is the Peoples’ Climate Vote?
- The largest survey of public opinion on climate change ever conducted
- 1.2 million respondents from 50 countries covering 56% of the world’s population
- Launched in 2020 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
What are the four most popular climate policies globally according to the Peoples’ Climate Vote?
- Conservation of forests and land (54% public support)
- Solar, wind and renewable power (53%)
- Climate-friendly farming techniques (52%)
- Investing more in green businesses and jobs (50%)
What are the least popular climate policies according to the Peoples’ Climate Vote?
Plant-based diets (30% public support) and public backing for affordable insurance (32%)
What is the most profound socio-demographic driver of belief in the climate emergency and climate action?
A person’s educational background. There were consistently high levels of demand for climate action among people with post-secondary education in all countries.
Which age group is most likely to believe climate change is a global emergency?
Young people (under 18). Nearly 70% of under-18s said that climate change is a global emergency.
What is climate denial?
The belief that the cause of climate change is not anthropogenic (human-induced).
Give an example of climate denial by the fossil fuel industry.
Exxon campaigning climate denial, using tactics such as cherry picking, fake experts, and conspiracy theories.
What is regulatory capture?
It occurs when industry interests influence and redirect regulatory processes away from the public interest.
How do heavy polluters benefit from lobbying?
They engage in lobbying activities to influence policy-making in ways that benefit their interests, such as obtaining subsidies, reducing competition, and avoiding taxes.
What are some strategies employed by firms to pursue regulatory capture?
- Lobbying national politicians
- Privileged access to international negotiations
- Revolving doors
- Shaping public discussion
- Sponsoring scientists and academic conferences
- Softening compliance rules
What is revolving doors?
It refers to the movement of individuals between government positions and private sector roles, allowing for the influence of industry interests on policy-making.
Define regulatory capture.
Regulatory capture moves regulation away from the service of the public interest and toward industry interests, actively and knowingly pushing regulations that benefit specific industries.
According to empirical studies, who has the most influence on U.S. government policy?
Economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on policy, while average citizens have little or no independent influence.
What are some findings from the empirical study on U.S. federal government decisions?
- Economic elites have more independent impact on policy change than average citizens.
- Interest groups have substantial independent impacts on policy.
- Business interest groups are more influential than mass-based groups.
- Net interest-group alignments are not significantly related to the preferences of average citizens.
- Even when large majorities of Americans favor policy change, they generally do not get it due to the strong status quo bias in the U.S. political system.
