U.s. Climate Policy Debate (2001-2008): To Support The Framework Of The Alliance Perspective

U.S. climate policy change has significant impact on the future international cooperation regime of addressing climate change. Since 2001, the United States has been experienced a fierce debate on the climate policy options. The great consensus is using market-based strategies to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Pricing carbon through a cap-and-trade program or a tax on emissions is thought to be one of the most cost-effective approaches.The Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) developed by Hank Jenkins-Smith and Paul Sabatier focus on the role of the policy beliefs of advocacy groups, policymakers and other interested individuals in the process of public policy shaping. This dissertation utilizes the ACF and Congressional hearings on climate policy tools to examine how and why U.S. climate change policy was developing between 2001 and 2008.The results of this study revealed that there are five advocacy coalitions within the climate policy options subsystem;the advocacy coalition of cap-and-trade has more advantages over the advocacy coalition of carbn tax;the major driving force behind advocating activities is the material or purposive incentives;federal climate policy shifts need the social and economic changes external to the climate policy options subsystem.