TY - JOUR
T1 - The Politics of Environmental Concern
T2 - A Cross-National Analysis
AU - Nawrotzki, Raphael J.
PY - 2012/9
Y1 - 2012/9
N2 - Prior research in the United States has found that liberals are generally more environmentally concerned than conservatives. The present study explores whether conservatives' opposition to environmental protection is solely a U.S. or a universal phenomenon and whether this association is contingent on country-level characteristics, such as development, environmental conditions, and communist history. Employing data for 19 countries from the International Social Survey Program module "Environment II," this article explores inter-country variations in the relationship between individual conservatism and environmental concern using multilevel modeling with cross-level interactions. The models reveal a number of intriguing associations. Most important, conservatives' support for environmental protection varies by country. This variation is a function of country-level characteristics. The strongest opposition of conservatives' toward environmental protection was observed in developed, capitalist nations, with superior environmental conditions. On the other hand, in less developed countries, and countries characterized by poor environmental quality, conservatives are more environmentally concerned than liberals.
AB - Prior research in the United States has found that liberals are generally more environmentally concerned than conservatives. The present study explores whether conservatives' opposition to environmental protection is solely a U.S. or a universal phenomenon and whether this association is contingent on country-level characteristics, such as development, environmental conditions, and communist history. Employing data for 19 countries from the International Social Survey Program module "Environment II," this article explores inter-country variations in the relationship between individual conservatism and environmental concern using multilevel modeling with cross-level interactions. The models reveal a number of intriguing associations. Most important, conservatives' support for environmental protection varies by country. This variation is a function of country-level characteristics. The strongest opposition of conservatives' toward environmental protection was observed in developed, capitalist nations, with superior environmental conditions. On the other hand, in less developed countries, and countries characterized by poor environmental quality, conservatives are more environmentally concerned than liberals.
KW - ISSP 2000
KW - conservatism
KW - environmental concern
KW - environmentalism
KW - multilevel model
KW - political ideology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84867688381&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84867688381&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1086026612456535
DO - 10.1177/1086026612456535
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84867688381
SN - 1086-0266
VL - 25
SP - 286
EP - 307
JO - Organization and Environment
JF - Organization and Environment
IS - 3
ER -