Essay Questions for Thinking through Sources 29

Assess Change over Time: After reading these five sources, which were created over the relatively short period from 2001 to 2012, what conclusions have you reached about the extent to which American political leaders and institutions have changed their approaches to environmental policy? What sorts of changes can you identify between 2001 and 2012, and what remained the same? Based on the information in the textbook chapter, do you see these changes and continuities as a consequence of new knowledge and understanding about environmental issues or of partisan debate and conflict among national political leaders?

Consider Globalization: The process of globalization has changed the United States and the world over the last several decades. To what extent has globalization shaped the content and the perspectives of these five documents? What do the documents suggest about the extent to which the United States has accepted its responsibilities as a major player in global politics?

Imagine a Conversation: How might the creators of these sources have responded to one another in a conversation about the importance of environmental policy in twenty-first century America and the ways it should be balanced with economic policy? Which authors would argue that race and class are important parts of environmental justice and which might disagree? If the authors were to stage a debate about the U.S. government’s proper position on the environment, how would the positions break down and which authors would ally with one another?

Consider American Exceptionalism: From the beginning of American history, some have argued that the United States is unique in the world because of its geography, abundant natural resources, political institutions, and culture. To what extent is this idea of American exceptionalism apparent in each of these documents? Which documents rely most heavily on this conception of the United States and why? Which disregard it and why?