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The Ungovernable City: Interest Groups and Local Political Institutions in the United States and Europe

Project description

The power of interest groups in local housing, land use policies

The transition from carbon-intensive cities to low-carbon infrastructure (green housing and transportation) is a critical step in effective climate mitigation. The United States is a case in point as it represents just over 2 % of the global population but accounts for 11 % of global emissions of CO2 from energy use. Housing construction is quite impossible in almost all major American metropolitan cities due to restrictive land use policies, the role of local interest groups and an abundance of veto points. In this context, the EU-funded TUC project will explore how the interest groups form and evolve, and how they influence local housing and land use policymaking.

Objective

As nations in the developed world strive to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to counteract the effects of climate change, transitioning from more carbon intensive cities to greener modes of housing and transportation will become paramount challenges for governments throughout the 21st century. The United States, who produces about 11 percent of CO2 while accounting for just two percent of the world’s population, presents a particular challenge. Infrastructure costs in the United States are astronomically higher than in comparable developed nations in Europe or Asia. Further, housing construction—especially dense urban housing and its accompanying low carbon profile—is nearly impossible to build in almost all major American metro areas due to restrictive land use policies, an abundance of veto points exploited by engage local interest groups and America’s strong federalist institutions that give deference to local governments when deciding land use policy.

This project seeks to understand how interest groups in the United States capture local housing and land use policymaking and why a similar phenomenon hasn’t evolved in many European Union nations. Studying local interest groups in a comparative setting will better illuminate how weaknesses in political institutions engender this behavior and lead to differing outcomes between the two regions. Identifying these institutional deficiencies will also aid reforms in the United States crucial for modernizing that democracy and aiding the global fight against climate change. This project will also deepen understanding of how interest groups form and evolve, what motivates the transition from individual financial motivation to the formation of an interest group and how these groups capture local political institutions.

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01

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Coordinator

COPENHAGEN BUSINESS SCHOOL
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 230 774,40
Address
SOLBJERG PLADS 3
2000 FREDERIKSBERG
Denmark

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Region
Danmark Hovedstaden Byen København
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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