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Clean Air Federalism: Do States Race to the Bottom?[Note 1. This research wassupported by a Pew Charitable Trusts Preparing ...]
Author(s) -
Potoski Matthew
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
public administration review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.721
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1540-6210
pISSN - 0033-3352
DOI - 10.1111/0033-3352.00034
Subject(s) - race to the bottom , race to the top , deference , race (biology) , clean air act , federalism , variety (cybernetics) , state (computer science) , competition (biology) , business , political science , air pollution , law , sociology , ecology , gender studies , algorithm , artificial intelligence , politics , computer science , biology , globalization
Proponents of federal environmental standards argue that competition for industrial development creates a “race to the bottom” in which states relax their own environmental standards to avoid losing businesses to states with more “business‐friendly” regulations. This article presents results from a unique survey of state clean air programs that show—contrary to the race to the bottom—a substantial number of states exceed federal EPA standards in a broad variety of clean air programs. Multivariate analyses of these state policies indicate that states strengthen their environmental programs in response to citizen demands rather than weaken their programs in deference to economic pressures.