9. The Political Opportunity Structure of the Environmental Movement in U.S. Communities

Abstract

We examine how political characteristics of communities explain variation in the mobilization and outcomes of the American environmental movement in 257 large American communities. In the process, we introduce our own typology of the political opportunity structure concept as a basic accounting scheme. We find that non-institutional political factors are more powerful predictors of environmental movement mobilization and outcomes than are institutional political factors. This is an important finding since non-state dimensions of the political opportunity structure are typically understudied in existing research given the overriding emphasis on formal state characteristics. Also, we find that the characteristics of allies have a more significant effect on environmental movement mobilization and outcomes than do the characteristics of opponents.

Citation

McCright, A.M. and Nichols Clark, T. (2006), "9. The Political Opportunity Structure of the Environmental Movement in U.S. Communities", McCright, A.M. and Nichols Clark, T. (Ed.) Community and Ecology (Research in Urban Policy, Vol. 10), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 199-240. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3520(06)10009-4