An Assessment of United States Ethanol Policy

<p>From 1978 on there have been a series of legislative acts that have placed substantial protectionist burdens on the American taxpayer to provide incentives, credits and mandates for the production and use of ethanol under the rationale of reducing U.S. dependence on foreign sources of oil while purporting to economically benefit the American economy and strengthening American security. While there has been much discussion about the economic benefits of ethanol policy, there is growing literature suggesting that in addition to being neither economically nor environmentally beneficial, ethanol policy may not be achieving its intended goals. Connection between political contributions, policy formation, and the actual outcomes of the enacted policies does not appear to have been addressed. Throughout the course of ethanol policy development the narrow interests of some stakeholders may have been met at the expense of others. Given the very large economic and social costs of ongoing ethanol subsidies and mandates an exploration of such a nexus would be illuminating and valuable.</p> <p>Hence the question of this research will be:</p> <p>Has the ethanol energy policy of the United States, as outlined in legislative actions, requiring subsidies and mandates from taxpayers, been reflective of a <em>deliberative</em> democratic process that after taking into account the input and influence of various competing viewpoints has resulted in a beneficial national policy? Consequently have the policy outcomes of the legislative stakeholders matched the stated intentions of those involved in the <em>deliberative</em> debate that enacted it or, where have those objectives not been met?</p> <p>Research that can increase understanding of how such an important policy may have failed can inform policy deliberation in such diverse areas as agriculture, national security and energy policy while illuminating how and why such public policy was made. Examination of a policy created and continuing which may have failed the most basic cost benefit analysis and does very little to enhance national energy security could demonstrate how a distortion of the legislative process resulted in outcomes that differ markedly from the stated intentions of those who enacted the policy.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Political Science and Economics, PhD interfield

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

School of Politics and Economics

Year dc:date.available

2012

Author dc:creator

• Johnson, Mark Chapin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Jean R. Schroedel
• Sallama Shaker

• energy
• ethanol
• policy
• congress
• deliberation
• Political Science

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/24

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarship.claremont.edu:cgu_etd-1044