Rethinking Environmental Federalism in a Warming World

Resources for the Future Discussion Paper No. 12-04

42 Pages Posted: 29 Jan 2012

See all articles by William Shobe

William Shobe

University of Virginia - Center for Economic and Policy Studies; Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Dallas Burtraw

Resources for the Future

Date Written: January 27, 2012

Abstract

Climate change policy analysis has focused almost exclusively on national policy and even on harmonizing climate policies across countries, implicitly assuming that harmonization of climate policies at the subnational level would be mandated or guaranteed. We argue that the design and implementation of climate policy in a federal union will diverge in important ways from policy design in a unitary government. National climate policies built on the assumption of a unitary model of governance are unlikely to achieve the expected outcome because of interactions with policy choices made at the subnational level. In a federal system, the information and incentives generated by a national policy must pass through various levels of subnational fiscal and regulatory policy. Effective policy design must recognize both the constraints and the opportunities presented by a federal structure of government. Furthermore, policies that take advantage of the federal structure of government can improve climate governance outcomes.

Keywords: climate change, subsidiarity, states, federalism, climate governance

JEL Classification: Q54, Q58, H7

Suggested Citation

Shobe, William and Burtraw, Dallas, Rethinking Environmental Federalism in a Warming World (January 27, 2012). Resources for the Future Discussion Paper No. 12-04, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1993194 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1993194

William Shobe

University of Virginia - Center for Economic and Policy Studies ( email )

Box 400206
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4206
United States
434-982-5376 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.virginia.edu/ceps

Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy ( email )

235 McCormick Rd.
P.O. Box 400893
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4893
United States
434-982-5376 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://people.virginia.edu/~wms5f

Dallas Burtraw (Contact Author)

Resources for the Future ( email )

1616 P Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States
202-328-5087 (Phone)

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