Public Policy Study Guide Final ExamChapter 11: Environmental and Energy Policy• Environmental Policyo All government actions that affect or attempt to affect environmental quality and the use of natural resourceso May occur at any level of government, may even be pan government, international in its scopeo Often evokes collective action issues• Focusing Eventso Moments that capture attention and highlight the existence of a problemo An event that puts an issue directly on the agendao Examples Death by Air Inversion/ pollution Cuyahoga River Fire Three Mile Island near Meltdown• Three Mile Islando 1979o A mechanical failure and human error at a power plant in Pennsylvania combined to permit an escape of radiation over a 16 mile radius• GW Bush’s position on climate changeo Claims that science was too weak to document meaningful change in climateo Encourage use of fossil fuels to encourage economic developmento Sought to deregulate environmental protecting through a new era of voluntary, flexible, and cooperative programs. And to transfer more responsibility of federal laws to the states. • Sustainable Developmento Economic growth that is compatible with environmental systems and social goals (UN goal from 1987) Problem is that not all agree on what is best for the environment or on social goalso Despite early support, US under GW bush DID NOT agree with the policy Conservative groups within the GOP see it as blocking income growth in the USo Sounds harmless, but politically fraught• Partisan differences on environmento Everyone wants a clean environmento Mainly, party conflicts over right to regulateo Democrats: Want strong government role to protecto GOP: private property, economic development are most important issues• National Environmental Policy Act of 1969o Requires environmental impact statement (EIS); public review; creation of Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)• Clean Air Acto 1970, 1990o Ambient air quality standard o emission limits (stationary and mobile sources)o Acid Rain• Command and Control Regulation o Direct Regulation; Traditional approacho Government sets and enforces laws using the best science as a guideo Seek to reduce the level of risk to a point that is reasonable in light of costs• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)o Underfundedo An independent federal regulatory agency charged with enforcement of most environmental protection (pollution) laws• Alternatives to Regulationo Market Incentives Allowing marketable permits for emission of sulfur dioxide (clean air act) Improve economic efficiency by reducing the overall cost of environmental improvement Government reduces the number of permits over time to ensure that goal of lower emission is reachedo Information Disclosure Nation uses this strategy by compiling the Toxic Release Inventory; by publishing fuel efficiency standards; and by promoting appliance efficiency standards Hoped that information will be used to press industry and government to mover faster on environmental and energy improvementso Cooperation v. Conflict Reduce conflict between regulators and those being regulated and to work cooperatively to develop appropriate environmental standards, regulations, and action programs Intention is to move from contentious, legalistic system of regulation, to one in which steak holders work together to see solutions• Decentralization to stateso Policy makers in both parties favor increased decentralization, but many analysts are skeptical about whether this will improve effectiveness• Evaluation of Policieso Hard to say what does and doesn’t worko Moving target problem (problem shift)o Air pollution seems to be down, water quality improved in past 40 yearso Now concerned about other toxins in food, etc• ANWRo Bush wants to open the Arctic wildlife refuge up for drilling in Alaska for oil Argues that opening the refuge will benefit towards the war, but the bill still fails Shows that even with the rally around the flag effect and same party in both Houses, the President can still fail domesticallyo Streamlined/ Weakened environmental requirements affecting energy pollution PRO: Economic development, energy, tax collections CON: Dirty, costs to tourismo Republicans more supportive than Democrats or Independentso Men more favorable that women; support is highest among elderly• Energy Policyo US energy policy is haphazardo Goal since 1970 has been energy independence from OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countires)o Carter tried, but public was disinterested… a pattern that is repeated over the years. This makes it hard to get an Energy Policyo Individual and corporate decisions in the market place largely determine energy use, with each sector of energy influenced by a variety of government subsidies and regulations• Cap & Tradeo A pollution policy that caps allowable pollution at a certain amount, distributes the rights to engage in that pollution, then allows the owners of the rights to trade themo People who favor it tend to not know a lot about it• Pollution Creditso Credits that can be earned and then sold by companies that emit pollutants below established standardsChapter 12: Foreign Policy and Homeland Security • Land Use Regulationo Protects against uncertainty; Property Values, “quality of life”o Addresses core property rights issueso Expression of local regulatory authorityo Encourages “desirable” development• Zoningo Establishes a class of activities that are allowable in an areao Zoning is generally more popular than planning More productive and less intrusive• Planningo Establishes a long term plan for what’s to occur in an area More specific than zoning• Property Rightso The right to have to the exclusive use of their property, including the right to buy or sell ito A fundamental building block of a capitalist system “Tragedy of the commons” illustrates the absurd outcome of no property rights• Zoning and Property Rightso Zoning both protects and threatens property rights Protects them by ensuring that someone’s use of nearby property doesn’t devalue them Threatens them by limiting what a person may do with their property• Changes in zoning may affect properties rights • Regulating Developmentso Seek to regulate pace, location, and extent Methods• Impact fees, monitoring “concurrency”• Limits on permits• Urban containment
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