Why labor works alongside environmental groups to advocate climate policies in some times and places but not others.
Climate policy research increasingly identifies organized labor as a barrier to climate policy but also a potential supporter and calls for climate advocates to build coalitions with labor. Getting to Work on Climate Policy explains why labor works alongside environmental groups to advocate climate policies in some times and places but not others, drawing on case studies of four states in the American West: California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.
Using original interviews, data on legislators’ voting records, and secondary sources, Geoffrey Henderson shows that when legislatures are gridlocked on climate policy, environmental groups are more likely to build coalitions to draw upon labor’s political resources. In exchange, labor leaders seek certainty that climate policy will redound to union members’ benefit, as well as credible commitments from environmental groups to uphold their promises of cooperation. This book offers strategic insights for advocates and demonstrates how the difficulty of enacting reforms in this era of partisan polarization motivates organized groups to cooperate.
ENDORSEMENTS
“When do labor and environmental groups join forces to tackle climate change? Geoffrey Henderson’s compelling answer couldn’t be timelier. When the prospects for progress look dimmest, alliances are forged that create and sustain future breakthroughs.” —Jacob S. Hacker, Stanley Resor Professor of Political Science, Yale University
“In this extraordinary book, Geoffrey Henderson unravels two linked dilemmas in American politics: When do interest groups form coalitions, and how do these coalitions engage in policy advocacy? Henderson offers crucial insights not only about environmental policy—the domain on which he focuses—but also about policymaking in America more generally.” —James Druckman, coauthor of Partisan Hostility and American Democracy and author of Experimental Thinking
Geoffrey L. Henderson is Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability.
Why labor works alongside environmental groups to advocate climate policies in some times and places but not others.
Climate policy research increasingly identifies organized labor as a barrier to climate policy but also a potential supporter and calls for climate advocates to build coalitions with labor. Getting to Work on Climate Policy explains why labor works alongside environmental groups to advocate climate policies in some times and places but not others, drawing on case studies of four states in the American West: California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.
Using original interviews, data on legislators’ voting records, and secondary sources, Geoffrey Henderson shows that when legislatures are gridlocked on climate policy, environmental groups are more likely to build coalitions to draw upon labor’s political resources. In exchange, labor leaders seek certainty that climate policy will redound to union members’ benefit, as well as credible commitments from environmental groups to uphold their promises of cooperation. This book offers strategic insights for advocates and demonstrates how the difficulty of enacting reforms in this era of partisan polarization motivates organized groups to cooperate.
Praise
ENDORSEMENTS
“When do labor and environmental groups join forces to tackle climate change? Geoffrey Henderson’s compelling answer couldn’t be timelier. When the prospects for progress look dimmest, alliances are forged that create and sustain future breakthroughs.” —Jacob S. Hacker, Stanley Resor Professor of Political Science, Yale University
“In this extraordinary book, Geoffrey Henderson unravels two linked dilemmas in American politics: When do interest groups form coalitions, and how do these coalitions engage in policy advocacy? Henderson offers crucial insights not only about environmental policy—the domain on which he focuses—but also about policymaking in America more generally.” —James Druckman, coauthor of Partisan Hostility and American Democracy and author of Experimental Thinking
Author
Geoffrey L. Henderson is Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability.
