State policy and environmental management: examining the intermediate mechanisms of ecological modernization

Abstract

Most quantitative research testing ecological modernization theory focuses on the direct relationship between development and environmental outcomes. In this study, we assess overlooked propositions of the perspective: the impacts of economic development on intermediate mechanisms—efficiency improvement and environmental consciousness—that are theorized to contribute to ecological improvements. We analyze fully balanced panel data covering all 50 U.S. states to evaluate the influence of both personal income per capita and GDP per capita on two intermediate mechanisms—state-level energy efficiency policies and state environmentalism. The findings indicate that personal income per capita is positively related to both state-level energy efficiency policies and state environmentalism, which is expected, while GDP per capita is related to neither of these measures. While these results provide mixed support for ecological modernization theory, we observe that the enactment of a policy does not, by default, lead to the realization of the expected benefits or outcomes. By investigating the role of intermediate mechanisms in mitigating environmental degradation, this study advances our shared understanding of the social, political, and economic factors shaping environmental policy and management in the United States.