STV4341 – Comparative Environmental and Climate Politics

Environmental problems and climate change are becoming so severe that they are affecting human wellbeing and threatening the very human survival. In order to fix these problems, individual action is insufficient and we need political interventions. Understanding how various political institutions and actors can facilitate or hamper environmental and climate action can help us design policy interventions necessary to tackle large scale environmental problems. In this course, we will discuss why countries respond to environmental problems and climate change differently. First, we will talk about the nature of environmental problems and challenges associated with commitments to solve environmental problems and climate change. Second, we will discuss collective action theory and how to use it to analyze current small- and large-scale environmental problems. We will delve into the role of the state in tackling collective action problems and cover the basics of environmental and climate policymaking. Third, we will talk about the role of different political institutions in shaping countries responses to environmental problems and climate change. Among these institutions, we will discuss the role of regime type, comparing democratic and authoritarian responses to environmental problems and climate change, bureaucratic quality, corruption, rule of law, and institutions shaping state-society relations. Fourth, we will analyze the role of public support in environmental and climate policymaking and drivers of public support, including individual and external factors.

Knowledge:

• Have an in-depth knowledge about and understanding of various sources of environmental problems
• Have an in-depth understanding of and be able to explain collective action theory and social dilemmas and their implications for solving environmental problems
• Have a solid understanding of the role of the state in environmental and climate governance and the environmental and climate policymaking process
• Have a solid understanding of the challenges that environmental problems and climate change pose for democratic governments
• Have an in-depth understanding of how political institutions shape countries’ responses to environmental problems and climate change, including regime type, quality of government, state-society relations, people’s values, and public support for environmental and climate policies
• Know of main data sources on environmental and climate policies, environmental and climate outcomes, and environmental values for an independent empirical analysis

Skills:

The students will be able to:

• Critically assess political institutions as sources of and potential solutions to environmental problems and climate change
• Apply collective action theory to analyze various small-scale and large-scale environmental problems
• Use institutional theories to compare and analyze real-world examples of different national responses to environmental problems
• Conduct an independent empirical study using comparative research methods
• Communicate academic knowledge in writing

Competences:

The students will be able to:

• Apply comparative politics theories to a specific policy problem
• Apply scientific theories to an empirical analysis of real-world cases
• Apply comparative methods to conduct empirical research
• Engage in a debate and be able to articulate an informed opinion on a heated topic
• Provide constructive feedback to the work of peers

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Students enrolled in other Master`s Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

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Apply for guest student statusif you are admitted to another Master`s programme.

Bachelor degree in political science or equivalent. Alternatively, a introductory course in comparative politics.

Lectures and compulsory activities

Compulsory activities

• One-page memo (preparation for the discussion seminar)
• Discussion seminar
• Online discussion on "skisse"

The course is taught in English, and the papers handed in must be written in English.

See guidelines for compulsory acitivities.

Absence from compulsory activities

If you are ill or have another valid reason for being absent from compulsory activities, your absence need to be approved and you will need to submit a complementary assignment.

• Report absence from or the need for a postponed deadline on a compulsory activity

Term paper.

The term paper:

• must be of 3500-5000 words
• meet the formal requirements for submission of written assignments.

You must pass the compulsory activities in order to be eligible to take the exam.

All support material is allowed. When using AI, you must explain and be transparent about its use: read more about the guidelines for AI and exams at How to use AI as a student - University of Oslo

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

See our information about

• Illness at exams / postponed exams