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Are policymakers responsive to public demand in climate politics?

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  • Schaffer, Lena Maria
  • Oehl, Bianca
  • Bernauer, Thomas

Abstract

Normative theories of democracy agree that public demand should be the main guide in policymaking. But positive theories and related empirical research disagree about the extent to which this holds true in reality. We address this debate with an empirical focus on climate change policy. Specifically, we are interested in whether observable variation in public demand for climate change mitigation can help explain variation in adopted national climate policies. Using our own data to approximate public demand, we estimate the responsiveness of policymakers to changes in public demand in six OECD countries from 1995 to 2010. We find that policymakers are responsive and react in predicted ways to variation in our opinion component of measured public demand, rather than to the mere salience of the climate issue. The effect of issue salience is strongest in combination with our opinion measure as this creates a scope for action. The results underscore the importance and usefulness of our concept and empirical measures for public demand, as well as of our disaggregated analysis of climate policy outputs in this area.

Suggested Citation

  • Schaffer, Lena Maria & Oehl, Bianca & Bernauer, Thomas, 2022. "Are policymakers responsive to public demand in climate politics?," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 42(1), pages 136-164, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jnlpup:v:42:y:2022:i:1:p:136-164_7
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    Cited by:

    1. Hoppe, Janna & Tröndle, Tim & Patt, Anthony, 2025. "“I didn't like them from the beginning, and I hate them now.” Changes in attitudes towards electric vehicles and phase-out policies for conventional cars," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    2. Baiardi, Donatella & Cristofoletti, Enrico & Menegatti, Mario, 2025. "It only works if you believe in it: How climate change awareness affects the effectiveness of energy initiatives," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    3. Lukas Rudolph & Fabian Haggerty & Paul W. Thurner, 2026. "Examining public support for Ukraine’s defense against autocratic aggression," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 17(1), pages 1-20, December.
    4. Yantuan Yu & Ling Liu & Yayun Ren, 2025. "Effect of climate change adaptation on energy productivity: evidence from China," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 58(4), pages 1-22, August.
    5. Montfort Simon, 2023. "Key predictors for climate policy support and political mobilization: The role of beliefs and preferences," PLOS Climate, Public Library of Science, vol. 2(8), pages 1-21, August.
    6. Indra Soysa & Espen Moe & Simen Rostad Saether, 2025. "Egalitarian governance and the green energy transition: an empirical test of 46 industrial economies, 1990–2020," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(7), pages 16983-17004, July.
    7. Theresa Wieland & Fabian Thiel, 2025. "Increasing individual-level climate mitigation action: the role of behavioral dimensions and inequality perceptions," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    8. Joshua F Inwald & Wändi Bruine de Bruin & Christopher D Petsko, 2024. "Younger Americans are less politically polarized than older Americans about climate policies (but not about other policy domains)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(5), pages 1-19, May.
    9. Gatti, Donatella & Lo, Gaye-Del & Serranito, Francisco, 2026. "Unpacking the green box: Endogenous preferences and environmental policy stringency in European Countries," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    10. Cain, Bruce E. & Gerber, Elisabeth R. & Lee, Nathan & Miller, Susan, 2024. "Investing in the future of mobility: The role of US local governments in building EV infrastructure," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    11. Pelin Okutan & Emre N. Otay, 2025. "Climate Change Risk Perception, Adaptive Capacity and Psychological Distance in Urban Vulnerability: A District-Level Case Study in Istanbul, Türkiye," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-29, June.

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