Political and Economic Determinants of Individuals' Support for Environmental Spending

摘要

The ability of a government to pursue policy initiatives depends substantially upon trends in public opinion. This research examines public attitudes toward environmental spending from 1974 to 1991. Using individual-level data over seventeen years obtained from the US National Opinion Research Center, we find evidence that support for enhanced environmental funding is influenced by an array of demographic and attitudinal factors including age, education, gender, ideology, party affiliation and urbanization. In particular, we also uncover evidence that personal and macro-level economic conditions play a role in conditioning the acceptance by individuals of increased environmental funding.