Roger Karapin is Professor of Political Science at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, and is the editor-in-chief of Polity.

'Is the US government forever stuck in neutral with regards to policies to affect climate change? Karapin carefully lays out the conditions under which dramatic, significant, and effective policy change can indeed take place … A must-read for those interested in theories of public policy and of course for those concerned with the future of our climate.' Frank R. Baumgartner, Richard J. Richardson Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

• 1. Introduction and overview; 2. Climate policies in the United States; 3. Theories of climate policy; 4. The structural theory applied to the cases; 5. Causes of climate policies in the fifty states; 6. Air-pollution and energy policy making in California (the 1940s to the 1980s); 7. Climate policy making in California (the 2000s to the present); 8. Energy and climate policy making in New York State; 9. Energy and climate policy making by the federal government; 10. Conclusions - political opportunities for climate policy in the United States.

Roger Karapin is Professor of Political Science at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, and is the editor-in-chief of Polity.

'Is the US government forever stuck in neutral with regards to policies to affect climate change? Karapin carefully lays out the conditions under which dramatic, significant, and effective policy change can indeed take place … A must-read for those interested in theories of public policy and of course for those concerned with the future of our climate.' Frank R. Baumgartner, Richard J. Richardson Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

• 1. Introduction and overview; 2. Climate policies in the United States; 3. Theories of climate policy; 4. The structural theory applied to the cases; 5. Causes of climate policies in the fifty states; 6. Air-pollution and energy policy making in California (the 1940s to the 1980s); 7. Climate policy making in California (the 2000s to the present); 8. Energy and climate policy making in New York State; 9. Energy and climate policy making by the federal government; 10. Conclusions - political opportunities for climate policy in the United States.

Roger Karapin is Professor of Political Science at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, and is the editor-in-chief of Polity.

'Is the US government forever stuck in neutral with regards to policies to affect climate change? Karapin carefully lays out the conditions under which dramatic, significant, and effective policy change can indeed take place … A must-read for those interested in theories of public policy and of course for those concerned with the future of our climate.' Frank R. Baumgartner, Richard J. Richardson Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

• 1. Introduction and overview; 2. Climate policies in the United States; 3. Theories of climate policy; 4. The structural theory applied to the cases; 5. Causes of climate policies in the fifty states; 6. Air-pollution and energy policy making in California (the 1940s to the 1980s); 7. Climate policy making in California (the 2000s to the present); 8. Energy and climate policy making in New York State; 9. Energy and climate policy making by the federal government; 10. Conclusions - political opportunities for climate policy in the United States.