Kochtcheeva, Lada V. 2009. Comparative Environmental Regulation in the United States and Russia. Albany, NY: SUNY Press

摘要

When are states likely to introduce flexible environmental policies? Lada Kochtcheeva offers a historical institutionalist analysis of air and water regulation in the United States and Russia to address this question. Kochtcheeva contributes to the literature on comparative environmental policy by juxtaposing two states that are often considered "exceptional" in some way and demonstrating the common features that allow for (or fail to allow for) experimentation with incentive-based instruments for controlling pollution. These similarities, Kochtcheeva argues, hold lessons for all states-developed, transitional, and developing. While the US case has been well studied, Kochtcheeva offers a thorough overview of Russian environmental regulation from post-WWII to the present, drawing upon primary documents in Russian, and revealing a fascinating history that has been neglected in comparative analysis. The book is an impressive achievement, but also somewhat limited, as the focus on institutions inadvertently seems to de-emphasize the political, economic, and ideological context that inspired the creation of these critical agencies and policies.