An overview of environmental policy making and politics in the United States. Emphasis on policies regarding air and water pollution, toxics and hazardous wastes. Investigation of environmenatal politics on national and community levels, with focus on social movements and citizen participation. The role of economic analysis in environmental policy, including a detailed review of the major tools that are used at the federal, state, regional and local levels. Special emphasis will be given on benefit-cost analysis and comparative risk analysis.
Topics covered include social values, organizations, norms, ideologies and political systems.
Themes of the course will include the relationship of expertise to lay knowledge, public participation and urban-rural relationships. Topics include the efficient management of private and common property resources, economic aspects of environmental issues and concerns, efficiency, market failures, benefit-cost analysis, and policy analysis. Each student, in consultation with an advisor, will select a set of elective courses that are appropriate to his or her interests and needs. In general, these electives come from the following groups of courses. As part of their coursework, all students participate in a group practicum that involves studying and contributing to the decision making process surrounding an environmental issue.