Masters Thesis

Climate change: the influence of international agreements on state level policy making

Climate change may be one of the most important issues facing all of humanity. It is also one of the most complex and challenging topics as the actors are plentiful and the arguments multifaceted. International agreements, federal leadership, and state policy making all play a role in combating the impacts of rising emission levels, global temperature increases, and severe weather related events. Collaborative efforts are necessary to make significant change, and this study aims to understand the history of international climate change agreements, the response of the United States federal government, and the impact of both on state policy making. This thesis examines international climate change agreements and the conditions necessary for a state to respond with state-level climate change policy. A case study of California is used to review the variables at the state level to determine the impact on state policy making in the context of climate change. Since California cannot enter into treaties with other countries, the use of international agreements provides a framework to review the federal policy response and then subsequent impacts on state policy making.

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