Common Corporate Enemies: Class-based Aversion to Climate Change Mitigation

• In Event: Political Economy of Climate Change

Abstract

How do the distributive stakes for businesses impact public attitudes toward climate change mitigation policies? Americans across the political spectrum are increasingly antagonistic towards large corporations, and one leading account of climate change mitigation policy is that larger firms may benefit from climate regulation due to an anti-competitive effect on small and medium-sized firms. I hypothesize that individuals who harbor unfavorable opinions of large corporations and perceive climate policies – particularly regulations to mitigate climate change – as disproportionately benefiting large corporations will be less likely to support climate change mitigation policies. To test this theory, I conduct a survey experiment to determine the effects of informing citizens that large corporations benefit from climate policies on their attitudes towards the adoption of climate policies. I examine this normative mechanism alongside a material mechanism emphasizing job risk. This work contributes to the literature on moral political economy, and on the enduring difficulty of enacting effective climate change legislation within the United States.

Author

• Katie Nissen, University of Michigan