Environmental Legislation and Policy

Analysis of environmental problems in an international context with a focus on political and economic processes, resource access, and representations of nature. Discussion of the ways in which film, literature, and the news media reflect and influence environmental politics. Approaches to policy analysis arising from recent social theory.

Critical analysis of the historical transformation of indigenous peoples and their environments in North America and the Third World. The origins and specific patterns of socio-economic problems in these areas, existing and alternative future development policies and their effects.

Comparative analysis of policy systems governing natural resource development in the rural Third World. Emphasis on organization and function of agricultural and mineral development, with particular consideration of rural hunger, resource availability, technology, and patterns of international aid.

Issues, concepts, and processes pertaining to the diverse approaches to understanding the relationship between human society and the environment. Core ideas in and approaches to U.S. environmental policy and management; global environmental politics; environmental justice and development. Critical analysis and discussion of foundational and contemporary texts in the field. Required for the major in society and environment.

The course develops capacities to analyze and affect the cause, dynamics, and consequences of resources and environmental policy formation and execution. It develops concepts of public policy and how cultural, legal, political, economic, and administrative processes form, execute, and modify it. It analyzes public policy formation and execution. It examines resource and environmental consequences of national macropolicy and international arrangements, and develops an ability to maintain a professional stance in severe contests of values. Oral presentation skills are developed.

Introduction to U.S. environmental policy process focuses on history and evolution of political institutions, importance of property, federal and state roles in decision making, and challenges of environmental policy. Emphasis is on use of science in decision making, choices between regulations and incentives, and role of bureaucracy in resource policy. Case studies on natural resource management, risk management, environmental regulation, and environmental justice

How existing agencies and policy makers incorporate new concerns into their deliberations, and how agencies given the mandate to address the newer concerns seek to fold their priorities into the existing institutional and policy structures

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