Comparative Environmental Politics

The nation-state is confronted with both internal and external demands on its ability to manage environmental problems, and these challenges take many forms. For example, international treaties have to be effectively translated into domestic policy; environmental problems that may be considered "local" are often exacerbated by international phenomena; the ability of domestic populations to bring environmental problems to the policy agenda is influenced by state-society relationships; and state environmental agencies often have jurisdictional conflicts with vested interests. In this course we will examine such environmental issues in several countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, and Egypt in order to compare the effects of different political systems on natural resource management. 3 hrs. lect.(Comparative Politics)/