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Series:   Elements in American Politics

Red, Green, and Blue

The Partisan Divide on Environmental Issues

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2019

David Karol
David Karol
Affiliation:
University of Maryland, College Park

Summary

This Element explores the growing party divisions on the environment in the United States. It draws upon quantitative and qualitative data from several decades of national and state politics. The study contributes theory to the party position change literature, showing that interest groups change parties, but in turn are changed by them. In the 1970s the characteristics that predicted voters' attitudes on the environment also predicted legislators' votes. Yet as environmentalists and their opponents aligned with parties, officials had incentives to set their own views aside to represent new party constituencies. Influence flowed in both directions, however. Environmentalists were drawn to the Democrats as they confronted GOP-linked business lobbies. Environmentalists' resulting need to cooperate with other groups close to Democrats led them to change their positions. Although environmentalists were long unwelcoming to minorities, they embraced immigration reform, allied with unions on trade, and worked with civil rights lobbies and labor in battles over judicial nominations. The Element concludes with discussion of how the current party alignment on the environment might change.
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Keywords

partiesenvironmentpolitical coalitionsUnited States
Type
Element
Information
Series: Elements in American Politics
Online ISBN: 9781108673266
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication: 25 April 2019

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Red, Green, and Blue
  • David Karol, University of Maryland, College Park
  • Online ISBN: 9781108673266
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Red, Green, and Blue
  • David Karol, University of Maryland, College Park
  • Online ISBN: 9781108673266
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Red, Green, and Blue
  • David Karol, University of Maryland, College Park
  • Online ISBN: 9781108673266
Available formats
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