Environmental Commitments in Different Types of Democracies: The Role of Liberal, Social-liberal, and Deliberative Politics

Marina Povitkina,Sverker C Jagers

doi:10.2139/ssrn.3810624

Abstract

This research project was supported by the Center for Collective Action Research, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Highlights

Which political system is best suited to deal with problems related to the environment and, by extension, to contribute to global sustainable development? Even if some environmental problems may have been solved, mitigated or, alternatively, been exported to parts of the world where mainly developed countries do not experience them anymore, this question remains focal
Model 1 presents the results for the interaction effect between the electoral democracy index and the number of laws, Model 2 presents the results for the interaction effect between thin liberal features and the number of laws, Model 3 – the interaction effect between social-liberal features and the number of laws and Model 4 – the interaction effect between deliberative features and the number of laws
We investigated whether arguments brought up in the green political theory literature apply to non-democracies, that is, whether thin liberal, social-liberal and deliberative features play a role when we compare all countries regardless of their regime type

Summary

Introduction

Which political system is best suited to deal with problems related to the environment and, by extension, to contribute to global sustainable development? Even if some environmental problems may have been solved, mitigated or, alternatively, been exported to parts of the world where mainly developed countries do not experience them anymore, this question remains focal. Currently rather popular, response is to argue that preventing and coping with an approaching environmental system collapse requires some kind of ‘Earth System Governance’ arrangement (Biermann, 2014; Burch et al, 2019) albeit without really specifying what type of political system this would presuppose (democracy or some other form of government), nor what steering mechanisms such a governance system would be constituted by Another popular approach over the years is to conclude that since most environmental problems have been generated in democratic countries, democracy needs to be exchanged for some other form of government if we are ever to overcome environmental problems (Ehrlich, 2013; Heilbroner, 1974; Kennedy, 1993; Ophuls, 1977). This line of argument has gained some additional fuel lately as investment in green technology has rapidly expanded in China, according to some observers, supposedly indicating that authoritarian regimes are better equipped to deal with environmental challenges (see Randers, 2012)

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Conclusion