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Policy or scientific messaging? Strategic framing in a case of subnational climate change conflict
Author(s) -
Cann Heather W.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
review of policy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1541-1338
pISSN - 1541-132X
DOI - 10.1111/ropr.12438
Subject(s) - framing (construction) , climate change , legislation , political science , public administration , content analysis , process tracing , public relations , environmental resource management , political economy , environmental planning , sociology , economics , geography , law , social science , politics , ecology , archaeology , biology
Climate change and the implementation of climate‐energy policies remains highly contentious in the United States. Prior research makes clear that the way polices are “framed” powerfully shapes how they are conceptualized. This article explores framing dynamics within a 2015–2016 case of subfederal climate‐energy policy conflict in the state of Illinois, which culminated with the passage of the Future Energy Jobs Act: legislation that contained significant environmental initiatives. I investigate this episode through a process tracing case study, incorporating qualitative content analysis and semi‐structured interviews with stakeholders. Results suggest that stakeholders strategically framed their policies in terms of economic benefits, and other aspects of a policy's design, as opposed to focusing on climate change or climate science. In this way, Illinois was able to pass a comprehensive climate‐energy policy with bipartisan support—an outcome infrequently seen in other states around the country.