Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Reilly, Jack
Area of Concentration
Political Science
Abstract
Although approximately 97 percent of climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities (NASA), many American politicians do not support policies to help mitigate the effects of climate change. The issue of global warming has quickly become one of the most divisive issues in American politics, with federal and state governments butting heads over environmental policies. During the Obama Administration, President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Clean Power Plan, which was a highly contested policy amongst states. This study examines which factors are behind states choosing to support or oppose the Clean Power Plan. This question was answered by conducting a quantitative analysis of several factors including energy consumption and production as well as party affiliation of the governor, attorneys general, and 2012 presidential election results, using logistic regression. Although this study predicted that factors other than party affiliation would impact a state’s decision, the findings indicate that party affiliation, particularly in the 2012 election, is the strongest indicator of support or opposition to the Clean Power Plan.
Recommended Citation
Barber, Leigh, "Power Struggles: State and Federal Tensions through the Lens of the Clean Power Plan" (2018). Theses & ETDs. 7.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/7