Environmental policies and politics of the Brown administration, 1975-1983
The American environmental movement seems to have arrived at a moment of crisis in its political and legislative effectiveness despite widespread popular support for even greater environmental protection than exists today. The Brown administration in California, 1975-1983, was elected at the crest of power of the environmental movement in the state. This dissertation analyzes what happens when environmentalists and environmentalism come into political power and the center of decision making; the role of politics in the process of policy implementation and the question of how social change occurs. The discussion is placed in a theoretical context, arguing the problem of environmental degradation can better be addressed if it is recognized as a process of the recreation of nature. It points out that human-environment relations are the result of political, economic, and social activities. Thus the kind of environment encountered is a political question which must be addressed as such for change to come about. The Brown administration made a step in this direction, but stopped due to its perception of political reality. It engaged in self-censorship. Brown's Governorship will have a lasting influence. Environmental awareness has become subtly embedded in the process of government, though subject to the vagaries of political expediency.
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Los Angeles (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6154853
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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