Silver Linings : Environmental Disasters as Critical Junctures in Global Governance
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | article - open access |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00139157.2023.2146943 |
| Keywords | environmental disasters; crises; oil spills; critical junctures |
| Attached files | |
| Description | In political science, disasters are frequently viewed as events that may open windows of opportunity for political actors to push through their agendas. This view assumes that change is path dependent; therefore, disasters do not change the pre-disaster trajectories but merely speed them up. This article argues that viewing disasters as triggers that merely accelerate status quo implies that their unique characteristics are negligible. Empirical evidence suggests that this is an incorrect assumption. Sometimes disasters are critical junctures, historical turning points that create irreversible changes in affected social systems. Within states, some disasters, like the Santa Barbara and Exxon Valdez oil spills in the United States, expose the failure of existing institutions and force the trajectory of institutional development down an unplanned path. This article traces the change-making potential of these events, revealing how taking opportunity of crises and disasters may help us move forward with institutional innovation and positive change. |
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