Democracy, Dialogue, and Environmental Disputes: The Contested Languages of Social Regulation [Hardcover]

Professor Bruce A. Williams (Author), Professor Albert R. Matheny (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 1995

This book addresses the conundrum of environmental regulation by tracing its source to the competing characterizations of regulatory legitimacy that have accompanied the growth of the American state. The authors propose a dialogic model for analyzing regulatory policymaking and apply their analysis to case studies of actual environmental disputes.

"An excellent book ... An impressive contribution to the study of social regulation, democratic theory, and hazardous waste politics and policy. It delivers one of the few sophisticated treatments of the conundrum involving the relationship between environment and democracy". -- Daniel Press, American Political Science Review

"Ambitious and broad-ranging ... a well written and documented overview both theoretical and applied, of one aspect of social regulation, hazardous waste regulation.... The work represents a valuable addition to the understanding of the policy process". -- Martin King, Journal of Economic Issues

"The focus on dialogue and the role of language provides an interesting contribution". -- Douglas J. Crawford-Brown, American Scientist

Product Details

• Hardcover: 268 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1St Edition edition (September 27, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300062419
• ISBN-13: 978-0300062410
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,034,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Mervelously Enlightening!, July 11, 2006

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Jarod Kintz "Jarod Kintz" (Jacksonville, Fl) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Democracy, Dialogue, and Environmental Disputes: The Contested Languages of Social Regulation (Paperback)

Bruce Williams and Albert Matheny put together a cohesive collection of insights into the regulation of hazardous wastes. This book is all about dialogue, and the characters that come into play here are on three very different levels. Of course the unspoken character is the environment, and that is the one that is the most impacted by the discussions. This book illustrates just how confused and confusing policy making can be. This book is a fantastic read, but also very frustrating when you really think about the implications.