Introductory description

Increasingly, many political systems are confronting a common set of challenges: how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining democratic consent and how to deliver policies to tackle climate change without triggering a backlash among voters. Often fraught disputes over climate change policy are becoming central parts of election campaigns, competition between political parties and decision-making within governments. At the same time, the effects of climate change (e.g. extreme weather) are ever more manifest, and themselves impacting political systems across the world. This comparative module draws from the growing field of scholarship in this area, to analyse how climate change is coming to be seen by voters, how political parties are approaching climate change, and the role that climate change is starting to play in elections. It will also assess how to develop climate change policies which gain public support.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

1. Public Opinion on Climate Change;
2. Climate Change and Elections;
3. Party Competition and Polarisation on Climate Change;
4. Climate Policy Design and Feedback Effects;
5. Climate Change and Democratic Innovations;
6. The Political Impacts of a Changing Climate;
7. Case Study Lecture: Australia;
8. Case Study Lecture: Brazil;
9. Case Study Lecture: Sweden.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Interpret and evaluate primary evidence such as polling data, focus group evidence and party manifesto databases in the subject area.
• Creatively explore key issues, concepts and theories linked to the module via in-depth case studies from across the world.
• Demonstrate an advanced understanding of academic research and debates in areas including public opinion and climate change, party competition and climate change, and elections and climate change through detailed self-directed study.
• Provide high-level and original analysis of the interaction between climate policy and public opinion, including debates around policy feedback and design.

Indicative reading list

Fisher, S.D., Kenny, J., Poortinga, W., Böhm, G. and Steg, L. 2022. The politicisation of climate change attitudes in Europe. Electoral Studies. 79. 1-6;
Birch, S. 2020. Political polarization and environmental attitudes: a cross-national analysis. Environmental Politics. 4. 697-718;
Farstad, F.M. 2018. What explains variation in parties’ climate change salience?. Party Politics. 24. 698-707;
Lockwood, B. and Lockwood, M. 2022. How Do Right-Wing Populist Parties Influence Climate and Renewable Energy Policies? Evidence from OECD Countries. Global Environmental Politics. 22. 12-37;
Baccini, L., and Leemann, L. 2021. Do natural disasters help the environment? How voters respond and what that means. Political Science Research and Methods. 9. 468-484;
Willis, R. 2020. Too Hot to Handle? The Democratic Challenge of Climate Change. Bristol, Bristol University Press.
Tranter, B. 1999. Environmentalism in Australia: elites and the public. Journal of Sociology. 35. 331–350;
Pidgeon, N.F. 2012. Public Understanding of, and Attitudes to, Climate Change’. Climate Policy. 12. 85–106;
Rapeli, L. and Koskimaa, V. 2022. Concerned and willing to pay?. Environmental Politics. 31. 542–551;
Mildenberger, M. and Tingley, D. 2017. Beliefs about Climate Beliefs. British Journal of Political Science. 49. 1279–1307;
Jordan, A. and Matt, E. 2014. Designing policies that intentionally stick. Policy Sciences. 47. 227–247;
Carter, N. and Pearson, M. 2024. From Green Crap to Net Zero: Conservative Climate Policy 2015-2022. British Politics. 19. 154–174.
Carter, N. and Little, C. 2021. Party competition on climate policy: The roles of interest groups, ideology and challenger parties in the UK and Ireland. International Political Science Review. 42. 16-32.
Birch, S and Martinez i Coma, F. 2023. Natural Disasters and the Limits of Electoral Clientelism: Evidence from Honduras. Electoral Studies. 85. 1-11.

Subject specific skills

-To gain an in-depth understanding of key issues, and academic research, surrounding climate change policy design, and the role of climate change in elections and party politics.
-To gain an in-depth understanding of methods of understanding public opinion, the state of public opinion on climate change in multiple countries, and factors shaping public opinion on climate change.
-To gain an in-depth understanding of the emerging evidence of how the effects of a changing climate (e.g. extreme weather) are beginning to impact elections.
-To develop the ability to analyse key theories, concepts and ideas covered in the module in relation to specific comparative case studies.

Transferable skills

-Understanding of methods for analysing public opinion (e.g. focus groups and polling).
-Data analysis (e.g. public opinion data).*
-Key employability key skills including time-management and organisation, written communication, verbal communication, problem-solving and critical thinking.
-Understanding of climate change policymaking and surrounding politics (for those wishing to work in climate policy).
-Understanding of the policymaking process and policy design.

*Though students do NOT need any proficiency in statistics to take this module, and may choose to focus on more qualitative approaches to the subject matter in the module if they wish.