The U.S. State Environmental Policy in the Late 20th – Early 21st Century: New Challenges

3123
DOI: 10.20542/0131-2227-2018-62-7-72-82

T. Rovinskaya (mirtania@gmail.com),
Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO), 23, Profsoyuznaya Str., Moscow 117997, Russian Federation

Abstract. The U.S. state environmental policy (both domestic and international) is of primary concern not only because this country has been a major political player for decades, but also because it is the top economy in the world significantly affecting the global environment. The article examines specifics of the American state environmental policy since 1980s (when the Republican candidate Ronald Reagan won presidential elections) up to the present day. The reasons for inconsistency of this policy, its practical effect, as well as the Green Movement’s role in this process are investigated. Tendencies and prospects of the U.S. environmental policy, its impact on international nature protection activities are discussed. As is seen from a historical evaluation, for the last decades, the nature of this policy has been largely depending on an acting President’s party identification. The Republican Government conducting an economic-based and profit-driven policy marks a “losing streak” for environment preservation, while the Democratic Government’s environmentally friendly political line signifies a “streak of luck”. The prevalent situation creates a danger of regress in the American environmental policy at the state (and thus international) level, makes for partial loss of previous achievements. Hence, the result still broadly depends on the commitment of a civil society, especially the “Greens”, their success in influencing the environmental legislation and government action. Given that the American Conservationists’ political standing comprises almost one and a half century by now, there is a hope that the “Greens” in the United States will be able to withstand new political and economic challenges so forth.

Keywords: environmental policy, Green Movement, federal environmental legislation, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA/USEPA), personnel policy, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Clean Power Plan, Paris Climate Agreement, international environmental cooperation


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For citation:
Rovinskaya T. The U.S. State Environmental Policy in the Late 20th – Early 21st Century: New Challenges . World Eñonomy and International Relations, 2018, vol. 62, no. 7, pp. 72-82. https://doi.org/10.20542/0131-2227-2018-62-7-72-82



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