Atrophy or progress? Evaluating the evolution of environmental policy by comparing large scale oil spills in the United States

Author

• Nicole Henken

Date of Award

2011

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

O’Brien, William

Abstract

Many political theorists accept that focusing events effect the cycle of environmental policy change without agreeing on the specifics of how events impact the construction of legislation. Pessimistic theories (consisting of Down’s “Issue Attention Cycle” and Freudenburg’s “Atrophy of Vigilance”) and optimistic theories (including the “Punctuated Equilibrium Model” and Busenberg’s “Evolution of Vigilance Model”) offer opposing views of policy creation. As focusing events, the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills together serve as effective cases for assessing and comparing the validity of pessimistic and optimistic policy change models. The analysis of each set of theories adds to the understanding of the construction of environmental and oil spill policy in the United States. These two major incidents, in Prince William Sound and in the Gulf of Mexico, when linked provide a long-term, multi-event continuum that more closely mirrors optimistic crisis-motivated policy change theories.

Comments

Includes bibliography.

Recommended Citation

Henken, Nicole, "Atrophy or progress? Evaluating the evolution of environmental policy by comparing large scale oil spills in the United States" (2011). Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019. 61.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_honors_2/61

Extent

68 p.

Identifier

FA00003582