Protests more help in passing environmental laws than working on 'inside'

[Kolesar]

Protests more help in passing environmental laws than working on 'inside'
FROM: Joel Schwarz [e-mail] 206-543-2580

Taking to the streets to demonstrate and protest is more effective than working inside the system to influence the passage of pro-environmental legislation in the United States, according to a new study analyzing the impact of the environmental movement.
The study also found that a pro-environmental bill has a much better chance of being approved by Congress when Democrats are the majority party, but contrary to public perception, a bill's odds of passage actually decrease slightly under a Democratic president.

The findings come from an analysis of 406 pro-environmental bills passed by Congress between 1960 and 1994 conducted by Jon Agnone, a University of Washington sociology doctoral student. He will discuss his research today (Aug. 17) at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association at the Hilton San Francisco Hotel.

His research also found that:

•Public opinion alone has little impact on the passage of pro-environmental legislation. Politicians are only responsive to public opinion on the environment when protests direct their attention toward such concerns.

•The overwhelming majority of environmental laws are passed during congressional election years.

•Nearly 80 percent of pro-environmental legislation is introduced in Congress by Democrats.

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http://www.uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=5271