Publication

This paper details how within the United States the locations of carbon-intensive industries have important implications for climate policy. The author examines state level and regional patterns for distribution of key industries and analyzes their implications for US climate policymaking. The paper concludes that the coal industry has a disproportionate impact on climate policy because of the distorting effect of the role of a few key coal producing states in national elections. The analysis of the paper is presented in the context of a pluralistic political economy analytical model of the US economy and political system.