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Sleeping with an Elephant: The American Influence on Canadian Environmental Regulation*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

George Hoberg
George Hoberg
Affiliation:
Political Science, University of British Columbia
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Abstract

This article analyzes the American influence on Canadian environmental regulation in order to show the international sources of domestic public policy, especially the manner in which Canadian policy development is influenced by the United States, and the specific dynamics of Canadian regulatory policy. The United States influences Canadian domestic public policy by the export of costs and the export of knowledge. An analysis of major developments in the areas of air pollution, water pollution, pesticides, toxic substance regulation, and environmental impact assessment demonstrates that American influence over Canadian environmental regulation is pervasive. The most frequent pattern is emulation, where value convergence combined with U.S. leadership leads to Canadian borrowing of U.S. policy innovations. This process can be either elite-driven or activist-driven, the latter being characterized by an enlarged scope of conflict, media exposure, and pressure campaigns on policymakers.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Public Policy , Volume 11 , Issue 1 , January 1991 , pp. 107 - 131
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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