PUBLIC-POLICY AND THE GEOGRAPHY OF US ENVIRONMENTALISM

Objective. The geography of U.S. environmentalism is under-studied, ye t it is politically relevant in our federal system. This article begin s to fill that gap with behavioral data. Methods. This research analyz es the geographical distribution of environmental group members among the fifty U.S. states, and by zip code within one state to check for s cale dependence. It uses the variation in explanatory factors across j urisdictions to explore the correlates of organized environmentalism. Results. Group membership rates show dramatic variation across states, with some convergence over time, and are generally higher in states w ith better environmental conditions and higher incomes. Membership rat es for certain groups in this diverse movement correlate well with agg ressive state environmental policies. Conclusions. The heterogeneous g eography of organized environmentalism is relevant in the decentralize d U.S. federal political system. Although measures of activism and att itudes are not directly comparable, this diversity contrasts with surv ey data showing homogeneous national environmental attitudes.