EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

 

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

 

Course:                 POLS 3256, Politics of the Environment

 

Semester:                Fall, 2001

 

Time:                      2:00-3:15, Tuesdays and Thursdays

 

Location:                BC-109

 

Instructor:                Dr. William R. Mangun

 

Office:                    A-134 Brewster Bldg.

 

Phone:                    328-6156

 

E-mail:                    MANGUNW@mail.ecu.edu

 

Office Hours:                Tuesday and Thursday 3:30-5:30

 

Attendance:                All students are expected to attend class according to university policies.  Attendance will be taken and failure to attend class may result in grade reductions in the absence of university approved excuses.

 

ADA

Compliance:                East Carolina University seeks to fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Students requesting accommodations based on a covered disability must go to the Department for Disability Support Services, located in Brewster A-114, to verify the disability before any accommodations can occur.  The telephone number is 252-328-6799.

 

Course

Description:                A study of the conflicts between societal and environmental values in the development and implementation of energy and environmental policies.  Emphasis is given to citizen participation in the development of environmental laws and regulations that govern our lives.  Key environmental and energy policy regulations are identified and discussed.  Impacts of energy and environmental legislation on the quality of the environment are analyzed.  The roles of federal, state, and local governments in the implementation of environmental laws are identified.

 

Course

Objectives:                Students are expected to acquire sufficient knowledge and insight into energy and environmental legislation and regulations to initiate policy analysis and evaluation of the adequacy of existing laws.  Where it is possible, students should also be prepared to make suggestions where change should or could be initiated in energy and environmental policies based on assigned readings, in-class discussion, and outside of class research directed by the instructor.

 

 

Course

Requirements:

 

1.                                            Three short-essay question examinations during the semester (45%, 15% each).

 

2.                                            A research paper based on a policy analysis of an important energy or environmental policy issue or problem (15 pages, due in class November 18 (25% of grade).  Late papers may be assessed a grade reduction.

 

3.                                             Final Examination (15%).

 

4.                                            Exercises (10%).               

 

5.                             Participation (5%).

 

Textbooks:

 

1.             William R. Mangun and Daniel H. Henning, Managing the Environmental Crisis: Incorporating Competing Values into Natural Resource Administration.  Second edition. Durham: Duke University Press, 1999.

 

2.             Norman J. Vig and Michael E. Kraft, Environmental Policy, 4th edition.  Washington, D.C.:  CQ Press, 2000.

 

Course Outline:

 

August 16                Introduction

 

August 21                Environmental Policy Tools on the Internet

                                Exercise One on Federal Environmental Agencies Assigned

 

August 23                Public Policy and Accountability or “Who’s in Charge?”

                                Reading: Vig and Kraft, ch. 1.

                                Exercise One Due

 

August 28                Environment and Public Policy

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.1; Vig and Kraft, ch. 4.

                                Exercise Two on State Environmental Agencies Assigned

 

August 30                Interest Groups and other Participants in the Environmental Debate

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.2 and Vig and Kraft, chs. 3 and 11.

                                Exercise Four on Public Participation Assigned (Due upon completion)

               

September 4                Movie on Population Pressures and Environmental Consequences

                                Reading: Vig and Kraft, ch. 15.                          

                                Exercise Six on Rulemaking Assigned

 

September 6                Federalism and Environmental Policy Decentralization

                                Reading: Vig and Kraft, ch. 2.

                                Exercise Two on State Environmental Agencies Due

               

September 11                Environment, the Presidency, and Congress

                                Reading: Vig and Kraft, chs. 5 and 6.

                                Exercise Three on Statutes Assigned

 

September 13                The Environment and the Courts

                                Reading: Vig and Kraft, ch. 7.

                                Exercise Three Due

 

September 18                Examination Number One

 

September 20                Environmental Policy in a Decisionmaking Context (Economics, Values and Risk)

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch. 3; Vig and Kraft, chs. 9 and 10.

                                Exercise Five on Environmental Problem Jurisdiction Assigned (Due upon completion)

               

September 25                Environmental Policy and the Bureaucracy

                                Reading: Vig and Kraft, ch. 8.

                                Exercise Six Due

 

September 27                Energy and Environmental Policy

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.4.

 

October 2                Energy Policy Implications for the Environment

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.4.

 

October 4                Renewable Resource Management (Forest and Range)

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.5; Vig and Kraft, ch. 14.

 

October 9                Renewable Resource Management (Fish and Wildlife Policy)

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.5.

 

October 11                Renewable Resource Management (Fish and Wildlife Policy II)

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.5.

 

October 16                Fall Break

 

October 18                Renewable Resource Management (Water Resources)

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.5.

 

October 23                Nonrenewable Resource Management (Soil)

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.6.

                               

October 25                Examination Number Two

 

October 30                Nonrenewable Resource Management (Mineral Policy)

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.6.

                                Exercise Seven on Air Pollution Assigned

                               

November 1                Air Pollution Control Policy and Politics

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.8 (air pollution section); Vig and Kraft, ch. 13.

                                Exercise Seven Due

                               

November 6                Air Pollution Control Policy and Politics

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.8.

                                Exercise Eight on Watersheds Assigned

 

November 8                Water Pollution Control Policy and Politics

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.8 (water pollution section).

                                Exercise Eight Due

 

November 13                Water Pollution Control Policy and Politics

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.8.

                                Exercise Nine on Toxics Released in Your Neighborhood Assigned

 

November 15                Examination Number Three

 

November 20                Solid and Hazardous Waste Policy and Politics

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.8 (solid waste section).

                                Exercise Nine Due

                                Exercise Ten on Treaties Assigned

 

November 22                Thanksgiving Day Break

 

November 27                Urban and Regional Environmental Policy

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.9; ch. 12.

 

November 29                International Environmental Policy

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch.10; Vig and Kraft, chs. 16 and 17.

                                Exercise Ten Due

 

December 4                International Environmental Policy

                                Reading: Mangun and Henning, ch. 10; Vig and Kraft, ch. 15.

 

December  13                Final Examination  2:00-4:00

 

Have a Nice Christmas, But Watch Out for the Acid Deposition and Heavy Metals in the  Icicles!