Published
Jan 1, 2026Page count
304 pagesISBN
978-1529250701Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University PressPublished
Jan 1, 2026Page count
304 pagesISBN
978-1529250725Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University Press
American Environmental History and Policy
This timely book explores the rocky trajectory of US environmental history and policy from pre-European settlement to the present. It includes underreported aspects of early history, and the first in-depth synthesis of the framing and outcomes of the groundbreaking environmental laws of the 1970s.
The narrative traces the political polarization that has affected the lag in US progress against climate change, compared with Europe. Concluding with the 2024 election of Donald Trump, the Afterword considers the dramatic events in the new administration. This authoritative but readable account shows how the US has arrived at its current position, and concludes withpathways for reducing polarization and achieving lasting regulatory reform.
Frank T. Manheim is Affiliate Professor and Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University.
Preface
1. Introduction
2. North American Indians and Land Use Before European Colonization
3. Colonial History to 1829
4. The Nineteenth Century
5. The Progressive Era to Post World War II (1900-1969)
6. The Environmental Revolution of the 1970s and its Outcomes
7. The Reagan Counterrevolution and Backlash
8. From Confirmation of Global Climate Change to the Obama Administrations
9. Upheaval: The Donald Trump and Joe Biden Administrations
10. Comparisons Between U.S. and European Environmental Policies
11. Policy Problems and Discussion
12. Pathways to Progress and Reform
