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The United States in Chinese environmental policy narratives: Is there a trump effect?

Author

Listed:
  • Yuhao Ba
  • Kathryn Schwaeble
  • Thomas Birkland

Abstract

Drawing on insights from studies of environmental politics, the policy process, and the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF), this study examines the Trump administration's influence on how the United States is characterized by Chinese environmental policy scholars. Using an NPF approach and policy narratives on the topic of global environmental governance, our empirical results suggest that the Trump administration has shifted Chinese environmental policy scholars' constructed role of the US but not China's relationship with the US in these narratives. Specifically, there was a widening polarization of the US being portrayed as hero and villain over the sampled time frame (2010–2020) yet the portrayal of the US as an ally remained stable. These portrayals of the US also do not vary across narrators' knowledge and professional backgrounds. Our findings help confirm previous arguments that the Trump Administration's influence on environmental policy and politics in China is more rhetorical than substantive, and indicate that, despite the escalating rivalry between the two countries, Chinese environmental policy scholars continue viewing the US as an ally in global environmental governance. The findings likewise provide insights for rebuilding international climate cooperation and global climate governance leadership. Basándose en los conocimientos de los estudios de política ambiental, el proceso de políticas y el Marco de política narrativa (NPF), este estudio examina la influencia de la administración Trump en cómo los académicos chinos en política ambiental caracterizan a los Estados Unidos. Usando un enfoque NPF y narrativas de políticas sobre el tema de la gobernanza ambiental global, nuestros resultados empíricos sugieren que la administración Trump ha cambiado el papel construido por los académicos chinos en política ambiental de los EE. UU., pero no la relación de China con los EE. UU. en estas narrativas. Específicamente, hubo una polarización cada vez mayor de los EE. UU. retratados como héroes y villanos durante el período de tiempo muestreado (2010‐2020), pero la representación de los EE. UU. como un aliado se mantuvo estable. Estas representaciones de los EE. UU. tampoco varían según el conocimiento y la experiencia profesional de los narradores. Nuestros hallazgos ayudan a confirmar los argumentos anteriores de que la influencia de la Administración Trump en la política ambiental y la política en China es más retórica que sustantiva e indican que, a pesar de la creciente rivalidad entre los dos países, los académicos chinos en política ambiental continúan viendo a los EE. UU. como un aliado en el mundo. gobernanza ambiental. Los hallazgos también brindan información para reconstruir la cooperación climática internacional y el liderazgo en la gobernanza climática global. 本研究基于环境政治、政策过程和叙事政策框架(NPF)研究，分析了特朗普政府对中国环境政策学者如何描述美国一事产生的影响。通过使用NPF方法和关于全球环境治理主题的政策叙事，我们的实证结果表明，在这些叙事中，特朗普政府改变了中国环境政策学者对美国角色的建构，而不是中国与美国的关系。具体而言，在所研究的时间范围内(2010‐2020年)，美国被描绘成正面角色(hero)和反面角色(villain)的极化程度扩大，但关于美国作为盟友的描述保持稳定。这些对美国的描绘也不会因叙事者的知识和专业背景不同而存在差异。我们的研究发现有助于证实之前的论点，即特朗普政府对中国环境政策和政治的影响更多的是言辞方面而非实质方面，研究发现还表明，尽管两国之间的竞争不断升级，但中国环境政策学者仍将美国视为全球环境治理盟友。这些发现同样为重建国际气候合作和全球气候治理领导力一事提供见解。

Suggested Citation

  • Yuhao Ba & Kathryn Schwaeble & Thomas Birkland, 2022. "The United States in Chinese environmental policy narratives: Is there a trump effect?," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 39(6), pages 708-729, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:revpol:v:39:y:2022:i:6:p:708-729
    DOI: 10.1111/ropr.12503
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Nils C. Bandelow & Johanna Hornung, 2022. "Narratives, evidence and public policy in crisis situations," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 39(6), pages 704-707, November.
    2. Annemieke van den Dool & Caroline Schlaufer, 2024. "Policy process theories in autocracies: Key observations, explanatory power, and research priorities," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 41(6), pages 865-891, November.

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