Evolving power and environmental policy: Explaining institutional change with group selection

Karolina Safarzynska and Jeroen van den Bergh

Ecological Economics, 2010, vol. 69, issue 4, 743-752

Abstract: This paper presents a theory of institutional change that builds upon a synthesis of theoretical insights from the literatures on group selection and socio-economic power. Based on a critical reading of relevant studies in sociology, political science and philosophy, we propose a taxonomy of power comprising different sources and mechanisms of exercising power. We discuss how these can be incorporated in a group selection framework to explain the evolution of environmental institutions and policies. This may improve our understanding of the feasibility, effectiveness and dynamics of the latter.

Keywords: Coevolution; Environmental; policy; Evolution; Group; selection; Institutions; Socio-economic; power (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:69:y:2010:i:4:p:743-752

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