Oral Abstract Details

Author(s):
Shaun M. Tanger

Affiliation:
Auburn University

Presentation Type:
Oral

Topic Area:
Human influences on ecosystems (direct and indirect stressors)

Abstract Text:
In this paper we examine the significance of urbanization with respect to voting on environmental policy in the United States Congress. While other researchers have broached this subject, only one of these studies examines whether or not the urban-rural composition of the voters in a given state is related to environmental voting. Anderson and Mizack (2006) find that states with higher population densities have higher “scores” for congressmen on environmental issues, ceteris paribus. These scores are developed by the League of Conservation Voters, an organization that, in part, examines how often a House or Senate member votes in relation to the desired position of the LCV. The more supportive of the suite of bills comprised each year by the league, the higher the score a congressman receives. Our analysis follows the line of enquiry set out in Anderson and Mizack (2006), but is unique in three respects. One, our analysis looks not only at a cross-section of states, but also those same states over the period of 1970-2008. Two, we proxy political support for the environment by averaging the LCV scores of each states’ two Senate members. Three, we use the percentage of urban dwellers in the state rather than population density per se, to determine the impact, if any, on the environmental scores of the states two senators.