Environmental Governance Reconsidered―Challenges, Choices, and Opportunities

This survey of current issues and controversies in environmental policy andmanagement is unique in its thematic mix, broad coverage of key debates and approaches, and in-depthanalysis of concepts treated less thoroughly in other texts. The contributing authors, alldistinguished scholars or practitioners, offer a comprehensive examination of key topics inenvironmental governance today, including perspectives from environmental economics, democratictheory, public policy, law, political science, and public administration. Environmental GovernanceReconsidered is the first book to integrate these wide-ranging topics and perspectives thematicallyin one volume.Many are calling for a change in the bureaucratic, adversarial, technology-basedregulatory approach that is the basis for much environmental policy -- a move from "rule-based" to"results-based" regulation. Each of the thirteen chapters in Environmental Governance Reconsideredcritically examines one aspect of this "second generation" of environmental reform, assesses itspromise-versus-performance to date, and points out future challenges and opportunities. The firstsection of the book, "Reconceptualizing Purpose," discusses the concepts of sustainability, globalinterdependence, the precautionary principle, and common pool resource theory. The second section,"Reconnecting with Stakeholders," examines deliberative democracy, civic environmentalism,environmental justice, property rights and regulatory takings, and environmental conflictresolution. The final section, "Redefining Administrative Rationality," analyzes devolution,regulatory flexibility, pollution prevention, and third-party environmental management systemsauditing. This book will benefit students, scholars, managers, natural resource specialists,policymakers, and reformers and is ideal for class adoption.

Rosemary O'Leary is Professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.