Jennifer Cole & Michael Vandenbergh on Social Psychology and Climate Change
On this episode of Free Range, Mike Livermore speaks with Jennifer Cole and Michael Vandenbergh. Dr. Cole is a postdoctoral scholar in social psychology at the Vanderbilt Climate Change Research Network, and Professor Vandenbergh is the David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair of Law at the Vanderbilt University Law School. Their work examines the political polarization of climate change and covid policies.
Episode is an appropriate teaching tool for but not limited to the following topics & courses: climate change politics, social psychology, political polarization, environmental behavior
Discussion Questions
- The podcast discusses how climate change has become a highly polarized political issue in the U.S. Why do you think this issue, in particular, has become so polarized compared to other issues? What factors contribute to this polarization?
- Do you think the polarization on climate change is primarily an issue among political elites, or does it reflect true divides in public opinion? What evidence from the podcast supports your view?
- How does the U.S. system of government, with institutions like the Senate and Electoral College, contribute to polarization on climate change? Does it make bipartisan action more difficult?
- What are some strategies discussed in the podcast for overcoming partisan divides on climate change? Which do you think would be most effective and why?
- How does the idea of “solution aversion” help explain polarization on climate change? Do you think focusing on private sector solutions could be an effective strategy for building bipartisan support?
- What role do party leaders and elites play in shaping public opinion on climate change? How much influence do they truly have once party positions are entrenched?
- What is pluralistic ignorance and how does it apply in the case of Republican views on climate change? Why does this phenomenon occur?
- How might grassroots organizations help change views on climate change from the bottom-up? What examples does the podcast discuss?
- Why is bipartisan messaging important for environmental groups? How could they frame climate solutions to appeal to conservatives without compromising progressive values?
- What lessons or insights did you gain from the discussion of polarization on COVID policies? How are the dynamics similar to climate change?
- Do you think a far-right environmental organization could be an effective way to engage conservatives on climate change? Why or why not?
- What role can insights from psychology and social science play in overcoming polarization on issues like climate change? How might lawyers and policymakers apply these insights?
Additional Readings
- Aaron McWright, Sandra Marquartt-Pyatt et al., “Ideology, capitalism, and climate: Explaining public views about climate change in the United States.” 21 Energy Research & Social Science 180-189 (2016).
- Yale Program on Climate Communications
- “Which Republicans Are Worried About Global Warming?”
- “Global Warming’s Six Americas: Fall 2023”
- Troy H. Campbell & Aaron C. Kay, “Solution Aversion: On the Relation Between Ideology and Motivated Disbelief” 107 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 809-824 (2014).
- Cale Jaffe, “Melting the Polarization Around Climate Change Politics,” 30 Georgetown Environmental Law Review 455-497 (2018).
- Stephen D. Fisher et al., “The politicisation of climate change attitudes in Europe,” 79 Electoral Studies (2022).
- American Conservation Coalition (conservative environmental group)
- Terbush, John. The Green Tea Coalition: Why the Sierra Club and the Georgia Tea Party keep teaming up. The Week (Jan. 8, 2015).
- Kolbert, Elizabeth. How Did Fighting Climate Change Become a Partisan Issue?, The New Yorker (Aug. 14, 2022).
- Kolbert, Elizabeth. How Politics Got So Polarized, The New Yorker (Dec. 27, 2021).
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