Held in trust: How political elites are ignoring the public over federal supremacy of public lands

Abstract

ABSTRACT Public lands in the American West have remained a contested resource since their formation, particularly in the 11 westernmost states where public lands are in abundance. These lands are held in trust by the federal government for all Americans and have consistently been reaffirmed as the domain of the federal government to own and manage. Even so, there are continued efforts to transfer public lands or management of public lands to the states. These efforts are predominantly proposed by Republican legislators in both state and federal governments. However, these legislative efforts are unpopular among residents of the American West, regardless of partisanship, defying the theory of majoritarianism. By investigating state-level legislation from 2012 to 2022 which aimed to reduce federal control over public lands, this paper will explore efforts of legislators supporting these unpopular measures. Utilizing the subconstituency politics theory, this study examines the potential motivations of Western legislators attempting repeatedly to nullify the will of the majority on federal supremacy and management of public lands. Specifically, we examine the proximity of legislative districts to public lands, election results, and partisanship.