The Politics of Climate Change

What can and should be done about climate change? If scientists agree that ambitious actions are needed to prevent catastrophe, why are governments moving so slowly? The answer to this has as much to do with politics as the science behind the crisis. Should we rely on individuals or governments to change their behaviors? Should we increase regulations or rely on free-market solutions? How are different countries approaching the crisis? How do different political-economic systems respond to climate change?

In this class, we will use a global comparative approach to the politics of climate change to address the above questions. The focus of the class will be on describing and comparing the main types of political-economic systems found around the world (liberal, social democratic, communist, and authoritarian) in terms of responding to climate change. We will also look at the difference between developed and lesser developing countries, using the Paris Accords to frame the issue. And we will describe and compare responses at the individual, national, and global levels. 

I will be using PowerPoint slides and encourage student participation throughout the class.