Changing Climate Politics ─ U.S. Policies and Civic Action

Changing Climate Politics provides a thorough account of the current state of government action and political participation in the United States on the issue of climate change. In this exciting new volume, contributing authors explore climate policies at the federal, state, and local levels and discuss public participation on climate issues. The authors analyze public opinion, the U.S. climate movement, consumer action, and direct democracy, and assess the prospects for social transformation toward a more sustainable society

"Given congressional inability to address climate change, it would be easy to conclude that the United States is destined to fail at this greatest of environmental challenges. But this timely volume demonstrates that civil society, the courts, and local and state governments are all exhibiting important, fascinating change and innovation. In addition to offering a much-needed update on policy innovation at judicial, state and municipal levels, Changing Climate Politics offers a comprehensive account of civil society's role. These chapters are all as readable as they are informative, making this a key text for practitioners and students alike."---Daniel Press, University of California, Santa Cruz

"Wolinksy-Nahmias has assembled an outstanding group of contributors who collectively provide an excellent introduction to the complex fabric of U.S. climate change politics. In examining a range of initiatives across different governmental jurisdictions and in the realm of civil society, the volume captures the diverse patterns, textures, and dimensions of the American political debate around this important topic."---Michele M. Betsill, Colorado State University

"Changing Climate Politics is an excellent book for teaching university courses on environmental politics. It first provides an overview of the institutional structure of policymaking and then moves on to the less formal civil society influences on environmental policy. I highly recommend it."---Matt Evans, Pennsylvania State University

Yael Wolinsky-Nahmias is an Associate Professor of the Pracatice in Environmental Studies and Political Science at the University of Southern California. She has written on environmental politics and international relations and is the co-editor of Cases, Numbers, Models: International Relations Research Methods.