SOC 470 - Environmental Policy

Institution:

Clarkson University

Subject:

Description:

Public policy is developed in response to problems or issues in society that are presumed, for whatever reasons, not to be resolvable by the private sector. In theory, public policy as it relates to environmental issues is used to intervene to alleviate problems, such as industrial pollution, that threaten the integrity of the natural resource base and the natural and built environments on which our lives and livelihoods depend. However, public policy development and implementation in general, and environmental policy in particular, are not immune to political forces and influences. Even scientific institutions that often provide the empirical basis for environmental policy are potentially influenced and shaped by the political process and political and economic interests. This course introduces students to the distinctive features or characteristics of environmental policy development and implementation. The course primarily focuses on the United States but includes international environmental issues and policies. The course will help students understand how environmental policy fits within the large-scale social and economic changes in the U.S. and elsewhere that have resulted in greater environmental awareness. We will also consider how scientific evidence is created and marshaled in support of competing interpretations of environmental problems, and the appropriate policies to address such problems. Case studies of particular environmental policies, such as regulation of transgenic crop development and commercialization, will be used to help students grasp the complexities of, and driving forces behind, environmental policy.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.clarkson.edu

Phone Number:

(315) 268-6400

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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