Democratization and Climate Change Mitigation: The Effect of Transition

• In Event: Research in Five (Graduate Students) Session II

Abstract

Does democratization lead to more robust climate change mitigation efforts? Here I consider the relationship between countries’ transitions to democracy and their mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions between 1970-2010. I use a difference-in-difference model to estimate this relationship and hypothesize that transitions to democracy are negatively associated with emissions of greenhouse gases. I anticipate that successful transitions strengthen mitigation efforts because, all else being equal, new democratic regimes are associated with higher levels of civil society openness and regime accountability. These elements of democratic transitions allow greater volumes of individuals to develop political preferences about the harmful effects of climate change and then express those preferences through such democratic procedures as voting. After presenting empirical evidence to support these claims, I suggest ways to improve the literature on democracy and climate change, including by conducting discrete analyses of how mitigation efforts vary during democratic transition and consolidation.

Author

• William Kakenmaster, University of Notre Dame