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JEEA-FBBVA LECTURE 2017: The Dynamics of Environmental Politics and Values

Author

Listed:
  • Timothy Besley
  • Torsten Persson

Abstract

This paper develops a framework to study environmentalism as a cultural phenomenon, namely as reflecting a process of social identification with certain values. The model is used to explain how the shares of environmentalists and materialists in society can coevolve with taxes on emissions to protect society against damages caused by environmental degradation. These policies are determined by electoral competition. However, even though politicians internalize the welfare of those currently alive and pick utilitarian optimal policies, the dynamic equilibrium paths of policies and evolving values may not converge to the steady state with the highest level of long-run welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy Besley & Torsten Persson, 2019. "JEEA-FBBVA LECTURE 2017: The Dynamics of Environmental Politics and Values," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 17(4), pages 993-1024.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jeurec:v:17:y:2019:i:4:p:993-1024.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jeea/jvz040
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    Cited by:

    1. Donatella Gatti & Julien Vauday, 2024. "AI Diffusion, Disasters, Environmental and Social Change," Working Papers hal-04604374, HAL.
    2. Mattauch, Linus & Hepburn, Cameron & Spuler, Fiona & Stern, Nicholas, 2022. "The economics of climate change with endogenous preferences," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    3. Thuilliez, Josselin & Touré, Nouhoum, 2024. "Opinions and vaccination during an epidemic," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    4. Giorgio Fabbri & Paolo Melindi-Ghidi, 2025. "Culture, Supply Chain and Sustainable Food Consumption," Working Papers hal-05045857, HAL.
    5. Jiabin Wu & Hanzhe Zhang, 2022. "Polarization, antipathy, and political activism," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(3), pages 1005-1017, July.
    6. Koetter, Michael & Noth, Felix, 2025. "Ecological preferences and the carbon intensity of corporate investment," IWH Discussion Papers 2/2025, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).
    7. Martin Beraja & David Y Yang & Noam Yuchtman, 2023. "Data-intensive Innovation and the State: Evidence from AI Firms in China," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 90(4), pages 1701-1723.
    8. Van Der Ploeg, Frederick & Venables, Anthony, 2022. "Radical Climate Policies," CEPR Discussion Papers 17677, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    9. Francisco Serranito & Donatella Gatti & Gaye-Del Lo, 2023. "Unpacking the green box: Determinants of Environmental Policy Stringency in European countries," Working Papers hal-04202808, HAL.
    10. Sana Tanveer, 2022. "Role of Welfare Organizations in Advancing Societal Image," Magna Carta: Contemporary Social Science, 50sea, vol. 1(2), pages 61-71, May.
    11. Josselin Thuilliez & Nouhoum Touré, 2024. "Opinions and vaccination during an epidemic," Post-Print hal-04490900, HAL.
    12. Josse Delfgaauw & Otto Swank, 2023. "The Gasoline Climate Trap," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 23-025/VII, Tinbergen Institute.
    13. repec:hal:cepnwp:hal-04158754 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Fabio Landini & Davide Lunardon & Alberto Marzucchi, 2025. "Green Jobs and Meaningful Work," SEEDS Working Papers 0625, SEEDS, Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies, revised Jul 2025.
    15. repec:hal:cepnwp:hal-04188866 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Hambel, Christoph & van der Ploeg, Frederick, 2025. "Policy transition risk, carbon premiums, and asset prices," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    17. Delfgaauw, Josse & Swank, Otto, 2024. "The political climate trap," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    18. Matthew E. Kahn & Somik Lall, 2022. "Will the Developing World’s Growing Middle Class Support Low Carbon Policies?," NBER Working Papers 30238, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Donatella Gatti & Julien Vauday, 2023. "Green cultural transition, environmental taxes, and collective lobbying by social groups of citizens," Post-Print hal-04189019, HAL.
    20. Nouhoum Touré, 2021. "Culture, institutions and the industrialization process," Post-Print hal-04120441, HAL.
    21. repec:hal:cepnwp:hal-04208688 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Josselin Thuilliez & Nouhoum Touré, 2024. "Opinions and vaccination during an epidemic," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-04490900, HAL.
    23. Arik Sadeh & Claudia Florina Radu & Cristina Feniser & Andrei Borşa, 2020. "Governmental Intervention and Its Impact on Growth, Economic Development, and Technology in OECD Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-30, December.
    24. Touré, Nouhoum, 2021. "Culture, institutions and the industrialization process," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 481-503.
    25. Landini, Fabio & Lunardon, Davide & Marzucchi, Alberto, 2025. "Green Jobs and Meaningful Work," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1639, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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