Not offered 2007-2008
HIST 371 American Environmental Politics (Same as Environmental Studies 371)
The politics surrounding the environment today are a super-heated source of conflict, at the same time that most opinion polls show that Americans widely embrace many environmental protections. While environmental concerns have long been a part of local politics in
America, this course will largely explore the emergence and prominence of environmental
issues in national politics, from the first organized conservation efforts in the late-nineteenth
century to the present-day concerns with the global environment. Throughout the course we
will investigate both how changes in the environment have shaped American politics and
how political decisions have altered the American and even world-wide-environment.
Evaluation will be based on class participation, weekly critical writing, an analytical essay,
and a final exam.
Group A
MERRILL