ABSTRACT
Networks are a vital part of environmental policymaking that connect policy actors in coalitions, policymaking institutions into subsystems, and policy subsystems into regimes. Chapter 7 explores the climate change policy regime in the United States, including the subsystems and the multiple levels of government involved in climate policy. Policy subsystems are semi-autonomous networks of institutions that are organized around particular policy domains. Subsystems are the staging area for information-processing and policy-development with regard to issues and the climate change regime includes the various subsystems involved in climate policy as well as the policies of the multiple states with regard to climate change. This chapter also explores the role of important nongovernmental policy actors, including interest groups, scientists, and experts. Using data from congressional hearings, this chapter illustrates the structure of the policy subsystems as well as the actors involved in the climate change regime.
