Does political ideology affect the stringency of environmental policy?

In: Politics & policy, Band 50, Heft 3, S. 631-653

Abstract

AbstractThe political‐ideological assumption postulates that different political parties have different preferences toward the urgency of environmental sustainability. This article examines the relationship between political ideology and environmental policy stringency. I employ robust econometric specification on 23 OECD countries over 23 years. Results show a significant relationship between political ideology and environmental policy stringency. However, contrary to expectation, I find that environmental policies are less stringent in leftist governments. The findings suggest that leftist governments have not successfully incorporated their perceived environmentalism ideology into stringent environmental policies due to their lesser preference for law and order. I also find that the electoral politics view theory does not hold in the relationship between political ideology and environmental policy stringency. The findings, which are robust to various econometric identifications and alternative measurement of variables, add new insights on partisan politics and environmental sustainability.Related ArticlesMurray, Gregg R., and Matthew K. Mulvaney. 2012. "Parenting Styles, Socialization, and the Transmission of Political Ideology and Partisanship." Politics & Policy 40(6): 1106–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2012.00395.xWinburn, Jonathan, and Amanda Winburn. 2020. "The Role of Political Ideology in Public Opinion toward Enumerated Antibullying Policies in Public Schools." Politics & Policy 48(3): 442–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12355Zang, Xiaowei. 2021. "Environmental Accidents and Environmental Legislation in China: Evidence from Provincial Panel Data (1997–2014)." Politics & Policy 50(1): 77–92. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12446