Environmental Legislation and Policy

Analysis of policy issues in agricultural development using sectoral and regional models of growth and development.

This course covers alternative models of production, resource and environmental risk management; family production function; adoption and diffusion; innovation and intellectual property rights; agricultural and environmental policies and their impact on production and the environment; water resources; pest control; biotechnology; and optimal control over space and time

A systematic and critical approach to evaluating and designing public policies. Combines theory and application to particular cases and problems. Diverse policy topics, including environmental, health, education, communications, safety, and arts policy issues, among others.

Development of American law and the constitutional system in the 20th century. Topics include Progressive Era Regulatory policy, criminal justice and relations, freedom of speech and press, New Deal legal innovations, modern tort liability, environmental regulation, judicial reform, and federalism

Political factors affecting ecological conditions in the Third World. Topics include environmental degradation, migrations, agricultural production, role of international aid, divergence in standard of living, political power, participation and decision making, access to resources, global environmental policies and treaties, political strife and war.

This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the complex interactions between population, environmental change, and economic development, including the leading theories for understanding these interactions. The origins and history of current debates are discussed as well as some of the major issues stemming from these debates, such as immigration, international trade, family planning policies and concerns over the global commons. Specific natural resources and services like fresh water, food supply, and forest cover are analyzed as case studies. Policy options for sustainable development are discussed.

This course considers the formation, implementation, and impact of public policies affecting agriculture and the environment. Economic approaches to public lawmaking, including theories of legislation, interest group activity, and congressional control of bureaucracies. Case studies include water allocation, endangered species protection, water quality, food safety, drainage, wetlands, pesticides, and farmworker safety. Emphasis on examples from California.

Theories of externalities and public goods applied to pollution and environmental policy. Trade-off between production and environmental amenities. Assessing nonmarket value of environmental amenities. Remediation and clean-up policies. Environment and development. Biodiversity management.

Introduction to microeconomics with emphasis on resource, agricultural, and environmental issues.

The dynamics of international politics are examined over the last 25 years. Attention is paid to different perspectives in global environmental politics, the actors involved, how well international agreements address the problems they are supposed to solve, and the main debates in the field, including trade-environmental conflicts, security, and environmental justice issues. Issues covered vary, but may include climate change, biodiversity, population, and toxics.