POLS 336: The Politics of
Environmental Policy
Course
Syllabus
Instructor: Dave Dehnel | Winter, 2018-19
This course is about how political institutions, interests and ideologies shape environmental policy. Examples from major areas of environmental concern, such as air and water pollution, preservation of natural habitat, and climate change are used to illustrate how political institutions respond to local, regional and global threats to the environment.
In the first part of the course we diagnose the challenges we face in addressing the ever growing impact of humanity on nature. We explore:
-choices made at the individual and corporate level that lead to social costs in terms of environmental degradation
-the range of policy options available for reshaping the choices made by individuals and corporations
-factors that distort the political response to environmental degradation
In the second part of the course we will consider ways to resolve these dilemmas of power and choice. Through case studies, we will consider a wide range of possibilities. We will enhance our perspective on the challenges we face by studying the struggles of China, the world’s other largest source of pollution.
Contacting Me
Office: 312 Old Main Phone: 794-7235 E-mail: daviddehnel
Office Hours: Feel free to contact me for an appointment or drop by. The best times to catch me are MWF after class and TuTh between 1000-1130.
Rules and
Policies
1. Regular attendance is required.
2. Students who miss class are responsible for finding out about any assignments, handouts, etc. that they missed.
3. Assignments turned in late will be penalized. (Students who provide evidence of an extended illness will be given individual consideration.)
4. Students who miss a quiz can take a make-up only if the make-up is arranged before the next class period. When averaging the grades for the quizzes I drop the lowest grade.
5. Please do not take bathroom breaks during class. This rule will be enforced during quizzes and exams.
6. Use of electronic devices for non-class purposes is inappropriate.
Required
Books
Layzer, Judith. 2016. The Environmental Case, Fourth Edition. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.
Shapiro, Judith. China’s Environmental Challenges, 2nd Edition. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 2016.
Learning
Objectives:
Perspectives on Individuals and Society
This
course carries
a PS, indicating that it meets the Learning Perspective requirement for
Perspectives on Individuals and Society. In PS courses, we seek to
answer the
following question: How do we, as
liberally educated individuals, understand human behavior in context?
What this
means is
that in this course, we will not simply debate environmental policy or
learn
facts about the environment and the political system. We
will analyze the forces that shape economic and political behavior
in relation to the environment.
We will
ask the
following questions:
-Why do
individuals
and corporations pollute the environment?
-Why do
we care
about pollution? What values are at stake?
-What
public
policies can redirect individual and corporate behavior in a way that
reduces
environmental harm?
-What
political
obstacles get in the way of enacting appropriate policies?
-What new
ways of
thinking about environmental politics can create the possibility of
better
outcomes?
In the course of exploring these questions, we will Understand and Analyze environmental policy as social scientists do, Communicate about policy issues verbally and in writing, and Relate to others around the world who share the global environment. Awareness of environmental policy is essential if we are to Respond as ethical citizens. (The Underlined are references to Augustana Student Learning Outcomes.)
Grades
Grades will be determined on the basis of:
Quizzes (5 of 6): 25%
Reading Responses: (6 of 7): 20%
Group Co-facilitation: 5%
Cumulative exam (week 9): 15%
Research paper: 25% (including annotated bibliography and presentation)
Attendance and participation: 10%
Overview of
Assignments
The quizzes (usually on Wednesdays) will include review questions from the lectures. There will also be a question about the main point from the reading assignment for the day of the quiz.
To prepare for class discussions of the case studies in The Environmental Case, after reading the case do two things. First, reread the author’s introduction to the case to remind you of what she wants you to get out of it. Second, look at the “questions to consider” at the end of the case.
Reading responses will be a basic tool in the course for active learning. You will prepare an approximately two page response to a prompt I distribute, usually due on Fridays. You will be graded on how well you engage with the reading in response to the question. The reading responses will help you prepare for participation in class discussions on co-facilitation days.
I will divide the class into groups for co-facilitations. Each group of 4-5 students will be responsible for leading class discussion (usually on Friday) based on the topic for the week and the particular reading assignment for that day. The rest of the class will be given a prompt for a reading response that is due on the day of the co-facilitation. This will prepare them for participation in class discussion of the topic, so there will be no need for the co-facilitators to summarize the readings. Co-facilitation group members will not turn in a reading response, but they will be assigned to write a reflection essay (about the same length as a reading response) that will be due at the beginning of the next class period, (usually Monday).
-Co-facilitations should incorporate class participation.
-Co-facilitations should include a discussion of current events related to the topic of the week that will include items drawn from: recent news articles, recent editorials or other thoughtful expressions of opinion, or recent government activity (such as material drawn from the websites of the EPA or the Department of the Interior). Be aware of the source of whatever material you introduce. Ask yourself, “Is this source credible?”
-In addition, the group’s activities might include short videos or pertinent images.
The cumulative exam in week 9 will ask you to apply core concepts to the case studies from Layzer’s book.
Details on the research paper, including the annotated bibliography and presentation, will be distributed in class.
Course
Schedule
How Big of a Problem Do We Have?
James G. Speth, The Bridge at the End of the World, pp. 1-8 and 17-38 (handout); Judith Layzer, The Environmental Case, pp. 1-10 and 382-396; Stiglitz “Externalities and the Environment,” pp. 214-223 (handout)
Friday: Reading response #1 due
Week 2 (November 19-21)
Why We Abuse the Environment
Hardin, “The Tragedy of the Commons” (handout); Layzer, chapter 10
Monday: Quiz #1
Wednesday: Reading response #2 due; Group 1 Co-facilitation
Options for Policy Makers
Stiglitz, pp. 223-234; Layzer, chapters 2 and 5
Wednesday: Quiz #2
Friday: Reading response #3 due; Group 2 Co-facilitation
Week 4 (December 3-7)
Political
Obstacles
to Solving Environmental Problems
Layzer, pp. 10-21 and chapters 7, 8, and 11
Wednesday: Quiz #3
Friday: Reading response #4 due, Group 3 Co-facilitation
Week 5 (December 10-14)
Contested
Values in
the Politics of Environmental Policy
Layzer, chapters 6, 9, and 15
Wednesday: Quiz #4
Friday: Reading response #5 due, Group 4 Co-facilitation
Week 6 (January 7-11)
The Politics
of
Global Climate Change
Layzer pp. 396-420; Tollefson, “The Two Degree Dream” (handout); News articles on U.S. Climate Change policy (handout); McMichael, et. al., “Food, Livestock Production, Energy, Climate Change and Health” (handout)
Wednesday: Quiz #5
Friday: Reading response #6 due,
Group 5 Co-facilitation
Week 7 (January 14-18)
China and
the
Politics of Environmental Policy
Judith
Shapiro, China’s Environmental Challenges,
Preface
and chapters 1-3
Wednesday:
No class,
Symposium day
Week 8 (January 21-25)
Contested
Values in
Chinese Environmental Policy Making
Shapiro,
Chapters 4
and 6
Monday:
Quiz #6
Wednesday:
Group
6 Co-facilitation
Friday:
Annotated
bibliography due
Week 9
(January 28-February
1)
What Have We Learned?
Shapiro,
chapter 7; Layzer,
chapter 17
Monday:
Reading
response #7 due
Wednesday:
Cumulative
exam
Friday:
Presentations
Presentations
Monday-Friday: Presentations
Finals Week: Presentations on Tuesday,
February 12, 9-11:00 a.m.
Research Paper due: Thursday, February 14,
6:00 p.m.