ABSTRACT
In the modern US environmental politics, the 2008 presidential campaign stands out in several respects. Climate change also emerged as a significant issue on the campaign trail and in the polls, thanks in part to President Obama's decision to make environmental protection, resource conservation, and climate change central elements of his presidential legacy. The American public has long expressed concern about the environment, and for decades it has strongly supported public policy actions for environmental protection and resource conservation. Environmental issues only rarely have been a decisive factor in elections, even though they have long been prominent in selected contests in Oregon, Washington, California, New Jersey, Colorado, and other states. During the Clinton administration, many of the same conflicts became evident, only this time it was the Republican Congress that sought to pull back from the environmental commitments of the 1970s and 1980s. The Democratic White House assumed the role of defender of the status quo in environmental policy.
