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Policy Process
  

Topics
bulletThe role of Politics in environmental decision making
bulletModels of the policy process
bulletStages of the policy process
bulletProblem framing
bulletAgenda setting and focusing/trigger events
bulletRole of the media
bulletAdvocacy coalition framework
     

Readings
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L: Ch. 3, 4

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RES 5, 6, 7, 8

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R: Ch. 2

bulletThe Keystone Pipeline proposal from Canada to the Gulf Coast is a great illustration of how politics is often involved in environmental decision making.  See this interesting collection of articles describing the controversy. 
bulletEthanol policy is a vivid illustration of the role that politics often plays in environmental policy making.   See this interesting collection of articles for some background on the issue.
bulletPresident Obama recently backed off of proposed regulations that would have increased Ozone standards.  This is another vivid illustration of the role of politics.  See this collection of articles from September '11
bulletDid politics influence the investigation of the battery fires with the Chevy Volt?  See this collection of articles on the investigation?
bulletDid politics influence the decision to award government backed loans to Solyndra to produce solar panels?  See this collection of articles. 
bulletOf course republican administrations are guilty of the same kinds of politics.  See this set of articles critical of the early years of the George W. Bush administration.  One almost wonders why anyone would want to be the EPA administrator. 
   

Lecture Notes
bullet View or print lecture notes as a adobe acrobat file
bulletAdditional readings and web resources related to this topic can also be found on my PLS 505 website if you are having trouble understanding the materials in the lecture notes.
         

Web Resources
There are a number of think tanks and nongovernmental organizations that hire policy analysts and are both clients for and generators of analysis in the policy process.  Notable examples include:
bulletUrban Institute
bulletHeritage Foundation
bulletBrookings Institution
bulletAmerican Enterprise Institute
bulletCATO Institute
bulletResources for the Future
bulletJohn Locke Foundation
bulletNational League of Cities
bulletNational Association of Counties (NaCo)
bulletNational Governor's Association
The following agency websites may also prove useful as we move through the semester. 
bulletU.S. Constitution
bulletFIRSTGOV - Information about the U.S. Government
bulletCSPAN
bulletContact your congressmember
bulletSearch THOMAS for information on current legislation
bulletState of North Carolina
bulletCity of Wilmington, NC
bulletNew Hanover County, NC
bulletSee various newspapers for coverage of political issues: The Washington Post, The Washington Times, and The USA Today.  The Drudge Report  and Salon.com contain links to various columnists from around the country and most of the major newswires.
bulletGrist Magazine - environmental news with a sense of humor
bulletwww.scorecard.org by Environmental Defense - It provides information on what pollutants are being released into your community
The following reports may also be of interest:
bullet GAO Report - Clean Water Act: Longstanding Issues Impact EPA's and States' Enforcement Efforts (GAO-10-165T)
bullet GAO Report - International Environmental Oversight: U.S. Agencies Follow Certain Procedures Required by Law but Have Limited Impact (GAO-09-99)
 

Movies that Might Be of Interest
bulletMr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) staring  Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Claude Rains, Beulah Bondi:  It is the story of a young, naive congressman who goes to Washington to do good and ends up fighting what he thinks is wrong about the system.  What is interesting when you watch the film today is to watch the attitude of the press and how they report the news.  Have things really changed all that much?  Ranked 29 on the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movies.
   

Book's that Might Be of Interest
Some good books on problem solving include:
bulletDery, David. 1984. Problem Definition in Policy Analysis. Lawrence, KA: University Press of Kansas.
bulletRochefort, David A. and Roger W. Cobb. 1994. The Politics of Problem Definition: Shaping the Policy Agenda. Lawrence, KA: University of Kansas Press. 
For some books on the policy process in general see:
bullet Brewer, Garry D. and Peter deLeon. 1983. The Foundations of Policy Analysis. Homewood, IL: The Dorsey Press.
bullet Sabatier, Paul A. 1999. (ed.) Theories of the Policy Process. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
bulletCobb, Roger W. and Charles D. Elder. 1983. Participation in American Politics: The Dynamics of Agenda-Building. Second Edition. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Press.
bulletKingdon, J. W.. 1984. Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies. Boston, MA: Little Brown.
bulletJones, Charles O.. 1977. An Introduction to the Study of Public Policy. Second Edition.
bulletLasswell, Harold D.. 1956. The Decision Process. College Park, MD: University of Maryland Press
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Dye, T. R.. 1976. Policy Analysis: What Governments Do, Why They Do It, and What Difference it Makes. University of Alabama Press.

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Majone, Giandomenico. 1989. Evidence, Argument, & Persuasion in the Policy Process. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
For books looking at the formation of environmental policy see:
bulletClark, Tim W.. 2002. The Policy Process: A Practical Guide for Natural Resource Professionals.  New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
bulletCohen, Richard E. 1992. Washington At Work: Back Rooms And Clean Air. Macmillan Publishing Co., New York, NY.

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