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Political Science

The political science group does research on the application and effects of policy instruments. These instruments include a wide spectrum from the level of general action plans to specific regulatory instruments including economic instruments, administrative regulations and information-based instruments.  Research on policy instruments covers analyses of actor behaviour at different levels ranging from the individual to organisations and society at large, analyses of decision processes and institutional analyses. The research conducted by the group also includes research on implementation and management issues related to environmental policy.

The research applies both qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews, as well as quantitative methods and comparative case studies across countries and sectors. The political science group has strong working relations with environmental economists, sociologists and geographers.

Topics

  • Application and effects of policy instruments and general environmental policies;
  • Green taxes and green tax reform; 
  •  Explaining effects – or lack of effects – of environmental policies actor and institutional level analyses;
  • Implementation of Danish and EU environmental policy, e.g. inspection of businesses, local participation in environmental decision-making; and  
  • Organisation of environmental policy making institutions and decision processes, and their consequences, e.g. in the context of the EU Water framework Directive and climate policy

Fields of research

  • Water environment; climate adaptation and climate mitigation policy; agricultural policy, pesticides and environmental effects; energy policy; CO2 emissions and air pollution.

Methods

  • Qualitative data collection and analysis  including document analysis, individual and group interviews, single and comparative case studies
  • Quantitative data collection and statistical methods, including surveys and survey experiments
  • Comparative methods

Examples of research projects in the political science group

  • Comparative studies of the implementation of the EU's Water Framework Directive;
  • Analyses of the external costs within the EU of a number of polluting activities;
  • Organisational and effect analyses related to environmental inspection of polluting businesses;
  • Studies of why pesticide policy regulatory instruments did not have the expected effects;
  • Analyses of institutional barriers to the penetration of new bio-fuels in Denmark;
  • Comparative analyses of climate policy integration across a number of EU countries;
  • Comparative analyses of economic instruments for the regulation of water issues in the EU;
  • Comparative analyses of the consequences of a green tax reform.