Power, Legacy, and Conceptualizations of Politics in Natural Resource Governance

• In Event: Ontologies of Environmental Governance - I

Abstract

In the late 19th century, Woodrow Wilson proposed that “politics should not meddle in administration and administration should not meddle in politics”. Born at the height of this philosophy, environmental agencies in the U.S. have become deeply entrenched in expert scientific policy models and neoliberal ideologies that advance conservation for the purpose of sustained consumption, often viewing “politics” as antithetical to these ends. Amid increased demand for inclusive and transparent governance however, such an aversion to social conflict may serve to isolate public agencies rather than protect them, particularly given increasing challenges to their authority through lawsuits and public ballot processes. But what exactly do agency managers mean when they lament the political nature of modern decision making? Building on data from a 2018 study of wildlife governance in the U.S., I propose that such interpretations of the political are conceptualized narrowly as challenges to historical governance paradigms that prioritize expert science and consumptive stakeholder interests above other considerations in the decision-making process. Specifically, agency managers appear to conceptualize politics as external influence, consider non-traditional publics to be more political than current clientele, and view politics as the enemy of science. Understanding the historically locked-in nature of political ontologies among environmental decision-makers and reframing that narrative into a more inclusive vision for conservation is key if we care to advance sustainable solutions to contemporary environmental challenges.

Author

• Leeann Sullivan, Colorado State University