POLI 386 - Carbon Politics: American Energy Policies since the 1970s

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

Energy became a salient national public policy concern in the 1970s with the onset of the oil-based ‘energy crisis.’ In the decades since, political questions about U.S. reliance on fossil fuels continue to intensify. Environmental ‘shocks,’ from one-off events such as the Deep Water Horizon oil spill to the slowly unfolding disaster of climate change, present political leaders with opportunities to change course and lessen the dependence on hydrocarbons. However, resistance to such a change in course has been strong and continues to grow. This seminar considers the politics of the carbon problem in terms of such resistance from the 1970s to the present day, and specifically how the widespread use of fossil fuels, and the infrastructure and industrial interests accompanying such use, have helped to define the possibilities and limits of market-centered liberal-democracy in the U.S. One continuing question is to what extent is the U.S. energy future subject to popular decision, and what avenues for democratic control over energy decision making exist. Ms. Chaves.

One 2-hour period.