The purpose of the three paper assignments
for this class is to help you develop an expertise in the politics and policy
of one particular U.S. environmental policy First, you need to select an environmental
policy area. I have compiled a list of important environmental legislation from
various sources (see below). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) home
page which lists all the various topics into broad categories at
http://www.epa.gov/epahome/topics.html
Outsiders are discouraged from viewing lawmaking and sausage-making too closely. Throwing caution to the wind, the purpose of this paper is to understand how our political system really works through an intensive study of how an environmental issue made it onto the public agenda and how it was addressed through the political process. You will write a legislative and political analysis of a single piece of legislation that addresses the following issues:
How did the environmental issue
get on the national agenda?
Why did policy-makers decide to address the issue then, as opposed to at other
times?
What role did elections, scientific reports, or focusing events play in bringing
the issue to the decisional agenda?
What assumptions were made regarding the nature and seriousness of the problem?
Had the federal or state government(s)
attempted to address the issue previously? How did the success or failure of
prior environmental policies affect your legislation?
What were the “lessons learned” about what worked and what didn’t? How did previous
policies constrain or shape your legislation?
How did Congress and the Presidency study the problem? What were the findings
of the key hearings, meetings, testimony, or reports? How well did they understand
the complexity, seriousness, and cost in addressing the problem?
How did these findings shape decision-makers’ understanding of the problem,
policy options, and relative benefits of action or inaction?
What were the main sources of agreement and disagreement about the proposed legislation? Why were key provisions controversial or not?
Where did the main political battles
take place (Subcommittees, Committees, Floor, Senate, House, Conference Committees,
behind closed doors)? Who were the main legislative or executive branch individuals
at each level? What were their motivations for involvement? What were their
sources of power and how did they use them to affect the legislation? Please
make sure to include proper names and motivations (i.e. Subcommittee Chair Waxman
…). How and why did the legislation change as it winded through the process?
What were the differences in the views of the House, Senate, Presidency, and
federal agencies towards the legislation? Who won and lost these battles and
why?
Who won or lost and why?
Which interest groups (be specific, use proper names!) were involved in lobbying
on the legislation?
How did they seek to define the problem and policy alternatives?
How did they seek to persuade decision-makers, what strategies did they use,
and how successful were they and why?
What role, if any, did the public play in the process? How salient was the issue
with the public and how did it affect interest groups strategies?
What was the main goal(s) of the legislation? How did Congress intend to achieve its purpose? What authority did Congress delegate? What money did Congress appropriate? What powers did the legislation give and to whom?
How did politics affect the goals
and design of the legislation?
Analyze how the political coalition behind the legislation was created?
Analyze how the bargaining and compromises behind the law affected its priorities
and ultimate effectiveness? What was “left-out” or included to ensure the passage
of the legislation and how did it affect the ultimate success of the legislation?
Did the final product reflect the original intent of the legislation?
Did the political process “work”?
1970 National Environmental Policy Act
1972 Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act
1972 Ocean Dumping Act
1973 Endangered Species Act
1974 Safe Drinking Water Act
1974 Shoreline Erosion Control Demonstration Act
1975 Hazardous Materials Transportation Act
1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
1976 Toxic Substances Control Act
1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
1978 Uranium Mill-Tailings Radiation Control Act
1980 Asbestos School Hazard Detection and Control Act
1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act
1984 Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act
1986 Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act
1986 Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act
1988 Indoor Radon Abatement Act
1988 Lead Contamination Control Act
1988 Medical Waste Tracking Act
1988 Ocean Dumping Ban Act
1988 Shore Protection Act
1970 Clean Air Act
1972 Consumer Product Safety Act
1972 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
1972 Federal Water Pollution Control Act
1972 Noise Control Act
1972 Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act
1972 Costal Zone Management Act
1973 Endangered Species Act
1974 Safe Drinking Water Act
1974 Strip Mining Act
1976 Toxic Substances Control Act
1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
1976 Solid Waste Disposal Act
1977 Clean Air Act Amendments
1977 Clean Water Act Amendments
1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Superfund)
1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments
1986 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments
1986 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
1987 Clean Water Act Reauthorization
1989 North American Wetlands Conservation Act
1990 Oil Pollution Act
1990 Pollution Prevention Act
1990 Clean Air Act Amendments
1992 Energy Policy Act
Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972,
The Clean Water Act (CWA) (1977)
The Clean Water Act (CWA) (1987)
The Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) (1986)
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)
Chemical Safety Information, Site Security and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act Public Law 1999
The Endangered Species Act (1973)
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Florida Everglades Restoration (1996?ish)
Wildlife and Endangered species
Lacey Act, 1900
Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 1918
Migratory Bird Conservation Act, 1929
Fish & Wildlife Coordination Act, 1934
Endangered Species Preservation Act, 1966
Endangered Species Conservation Act, 1969
Marine Mammal Protection Act,1972
Endangered Species Act, 1973; Amds, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1988
Air
Air Quality Act, 1960, 1967
Clean Air Act, 1963; Amds, 1970, 1977, 1990,
Water
Water Pollution Act, 1948
Water Pollution Control Act (Amds), 1956
Water Quality Act, 1965
Clean Water Restoration Act, 1966
Water Quality Improvement Act, 1970
Federal Water Poll. Control Act (Amds) 1972
Safe Drinking Water Act, 1974
Clean Water Act, 1977
Federal Water Poll. Control Act (Amds) 1977
Solid & Hazardous wastes
Solid Waste Disposal Act, 1965
Resource Recovery Act, 1970
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 1976
Comprehensive Env. Response, Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA), 1980
Hazardous and Solid Waste Amds, 1984
Superfund Amds and Reauthorization Act, 1986
Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, 1986
Nuclear Energy
Atomic Energy Act, 1946
Atomic Energy Act, 1954
Price Anderson Act, 1957
Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, 1963
Energy Reorganization Act, 1974
Nuclear Waste Policy Act, 1982; Amds 1987
Pesticides & Toxics
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 1972; Amds 1988
Toxic Substances Control Act, 1976
Environmental Pesticide Control Act, 1978
Noise
Noise Control Act, 1972
Quiet Communities Act, 1978
Forests, Parks & Land Use
Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act, 1960
Wilderness Act, 1964
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, 1971
Land Use Policy Act, 1974
Strip Mining Act, 1974
National Parks and Recreation Act, 1978
National Forest Management Act, 1976
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, 1977
Alaskan National Interest Lands Conservation Act, 1980
Clear Skies Legislation
Health Forest Initiative
Bush Energy Legislation
Bush attempt to open ANWR for oil
drilling