Cite as:
Bernhagen P, 2012, "Air pollution and business political influence in fifteen OECD countries" Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 30(2) 362 – 380
Download citation data in RIS format

Air pollution and business political influence in fifteen OECD countries

Patrick Bernhagen

Received 29 June 2011; in revised form 31 October 2011

Abstract. In this paper I examine the political influence of business in the context of environmental politics by comparing the explanatory role of three distinct sources of business power: political organization, a structurally privileged position in politics, and informational advantages. Using data on fifteen OECD countries between 1981 and 1999, the analysis shows that business organizational strength and information asymmetry in government – business relations are important determinants of observed differences in air pollution across countries and over time. By contrast, there is no support for the claim that the structural dominance of business constrains political efforts to improve air quality. By analyzing the role of asymmetric information and systems of interest intermediation simultaneously, the paper contributes to our understanding of the causal mechanisms that link corporatism to environmental performance.

Keywords: environmental politics, air pollution, business political action, business organization, structural power, asymmetric information, corporatism

Restricted material:

 Full-text PDF size: 232 Kb

 References  83 references, 31 with DOI links ()

Your computer (IP address: 50.16.17.90) has not been recognised as being on a network authorised to view the full text or references of this article. If you are a member of a university library that has a subscription to the journal, please contact your serials librarian (subscriptions information).