Environmental Politics: Public Costs, Private Rewards - Paperback

by Michael S. Greve (Editor), Fred L. Smith (Editor)

The essays in this volume challenge the widespread belief that the government's environmental policies, unlike those in other areas, are drafted and implemented for the public good and genuinely seek to effect a cleaner environment. The contributors demonstrate through seven important cases that there are strong reasons to reconsider the present command and control approach to environmental policy. They argue that policies and programs are often designed to address political and economic objectives dear to power centers and interest groups. The authors seek to force a critique of present policies and programs and to contribute to the making of an environmental policy more authentically in the public's interest. To that end, the work analyzes the role of organized interests and political institutions in environmental policies, what their rationales may be, and what impact they have on the public welfare.

Author Biography

MICHAEL S. GREVE is Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Individual Rights in Washington, D.C. He has written and published widely on environmental issues.