Work

Where Does Political Polarization Come From? Locating Polarization Within the U.S. Climate Change Debate

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: How do we understand political polarization within the U.S. climate change debate? This article unpacks the different components of the debate to determine the source of the political divide that is so noted in the mainstream media and academic literatures. Through analysis of the content of congressional hearings on the issue of climate change, we are able to explain political polarization of the issue more fully. In particular, our results show that, contrary to representations in the mainstream media, there is increasing consensus over the science of the issue. Discussions of the type of policy instrument and the economic implications of regulating carbon dioxide emissions, however, continue to polarize opinion. This article concludes by exploring how these findings help us understand more recent political events around climate change.

Source: American Behavioral Scientist

DOI: 10.1177/0002764212463360

Authors: Dana R. Fisher, Joseph Waggle, Philip Leifeld

Institutions: University of Maryland, College Park, Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Economics, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Climate Change Communication and Perception

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Science Foundation