{"product_id":"9783032245755","title":"Democracy or Carbon Oligarchy? Climate and Energy Politics between Crisis and Decarbonization","description":"\u003ch3\u003eEnvironmental Politics and Theory\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch1\u003eDemocracy or Carbon Oligarchy?\u003c\/h1\u003e\u003ch2\u003eClimate and Energy Politics between Crisis and Decarbonization\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003eRobert Shum\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003ePolitical Science \/ Public Policy \/ Environmental Policy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThis book tackles a critical question. Why has the world struggled so much to coordinate policy to address climate change, despite political and scientific consensus? Despite landmark agreements and expanding knowledge, emissions have fallen unevenly and progress has repeatedly stalled or reversed.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eDemocracy or Carbon Oligarchy? \u003c\/em\u003eexplains that failure by focusing on domestic politics: how institutions distribute power, how interest groups exploit “access points,” and why countries with similar wealth and technology diverge. Moving beyond arguments about mere political will, it situates energy and climate outcomes within the institutional architectures of industrialized oil super-producers: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Norway. Shum advances a neopluralist theory of climate politics, arguing that policy is shaped by the strategic capture of institutional venues by carbon-intensive interests. He shows how separation of powers, federalism, party systems, and electoral rules configure opportunities for a de facto carbon oligarchy. By mapping where binding decisions are made and who can reach them, the book offers a generalizable framework for diagnosing blockages, explaining cross-national variation, and identifying leverage points for sustaining ambitious climate policy over time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;\"\u003eRobert Shum is Associate Professor of Political Science at SUNY Brockport. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublication Date: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 July 2026\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublisher: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSpringer Nature Switzerland\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eImprint: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePalgrave Macmillan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9783032245755\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFormat: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHardback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePage Count: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e234\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Springer Nature Switzerland","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46795543445644,"sku":"9783032245755","price":98.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/9545\/1788\/files\/9783032245755.jpg?v=1781059770","url":"https:\/\/fh90cf-fv.myshopify.com\/products\/9783032245755","provider":"Late Knight Books and Services, LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}