The Politics of Environmental Concern: A Cross-National Analysis

Prior research in the United States has found that liberals are generally more environmentally concerned than conservatives. The present study explores whether conservatives ’ opposition to environmental protection is solely a U.S. or a universal phenomenon and whether this asso-ciation is contingent on country-level characteristics, such as development, environmental con-ditions, and communist history. Employing data for 19 countries from the International Social Survey Program module “Environment II, ” this article explores inter-country variations in the relationship between individual conservatism and environmental concern using multilevel mod-eling with cross-level interactions. The models reveal a number of intriguing associations. Most important, conservatives ’ support for environmental protection varies by country. This variation is a function of country-level characteristics. The strongest opposition of conservatives ’ toward environmental protection was observed in developed, capitalist nations, with superior environ-mental conditions. On the other hand, in less developed countries, and countries characterized by poor environmental quality, conservatives are more environmentally concerned than liberals