Research question: 🔍 🇺🇸

how much attention do U.S. congressmen pay to environmental issues? how often do congressmen talk about climate change, the environment, and sustainability? Which political party is the most active on environmental issues?

Data and operationalization: 🌐🗃

The source of the data will be the API of the U.S. Congress, accessible at the following site: here.Through query queries I will have access to laws where the word "environment", "climate", "sustainability" appears as a word. I will also know who sponsored the legislation and in which legislature.

Idea of the analysis and statistical model: 💡

I will run linear regressions on the trend of interest in the environment over time, run as a comparison the "t-test" to see which political side deals with that topic more.

Expected Results: 📊

Historically, environmental protection and attention to climate is an issue dearer to Democrats, so I expect most of the legislation to have been proposed by that party. I also expect much more attention to climate from after 1969 (man on the moon) and after Greta Thunberg.

Domanda di ricerca: 🔍 🇮🇹 quanta attenzione dedicano i deputati del congresso americano alle tematiche ambientali? quante volte i deputati parlano di cambiamento climatico, ambiente e sostenibilità? Quale schieramento politico è più attivo sulla tematica ambientale?

Dati e operazionalizzazione di massima: 🌐🗃

La fonte dei dati sarà l'API del congresso degli Stati Uniti, accessibile al seguente sito: qui. Attraverso queri d'interrogazione avrò accesso alle leggi in cui appare come parola "environment", "climate", "sustainability". Saprò inoltre chi ha promosso la legge e in quale legislatura.

Idea dell'analisi e modello statistico: 💡

Eseguirò regressioni lineari sull'andamento dell'interesse per l'ambiente nel tempo, eseguirò come confronto il "t-test" per vedere quale schieramento politico tratta di più tale argomento.

Risultati attesi: 📊

Storicamente la tutela ambientale e l'attenzione al clima è un tema più caro ai democratici, mi aspetto dunque che la maggiorparte delle leggi siano state proposte da quel partito. Inoltre mi aspetto molta più attenzione al clima da dopo il 1969 (uomo sulla luna) ed il 2018 e Greta Thunberg.

References / Bibliografia: 📚

• Brainard, Jeffrey, and Richard Monastersky. 2007. “Congress Debates Climate Change.” The Chronicle of Higher Education 53 (25).
• “Economy-Wide Implications of President Obama’s Air Agenda: Hearing before the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, First Session Note.” 2016. Economy-Wide Implications of President Obama’s Air Agenda: Hearing before the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, First Session, I–85.
• Klüver, Heike, and Iñaki Sagarzazu. 2016a. “Setting the Agenda or Responding to Voters? Political Parties, Voters and Issue Attention.” West European Politics 39 (2): 380–98.
• “Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 1998: Hearing before the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifth Congress, Second Session on H.R. 2863, September 29, 1998 Note.” 1998. Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 1998: Hearing before the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifth Congress, Second Session on H.R. 2863, September 29, 1998, i–67.
• Park, Hyung Sam, Xinsheng Liu, and Arnold Vedlitz. “Framing Climate Policy Debates: Science, Network, and U.S. Congress, 1976-2007,” 23.
• Tollefson, Jeff. 2015. “Pope Francis Pushes US Congress on Poverty and Climate.” Nature (London).
• “Vice President Al Gore’s Perspective on Global Warming: Hearing before the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundred Tenth Congress, First Session Note.” 2011. Vice President Al Gore’s Perspective on Global Warming: Hearing before the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundred Tenth Congress, First Session, I–70.