Environmental Performance in Democracies and Autocracies

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. Introduction

   • Romy Escher, Melanie Walter-Rogg

   Pages 1-13

3. Disentangling the Effect of the Regime Type on Environmental Performance

   • Romy Escher, Melanie Walter-Rogg

   Pages 15-60

4. Democratic Qualities and Environmental Performance in Democracies

   • Romy Escher, Melanie Walter-Rogg

   Pages 61-83

5. Democratic Qualities and Environmental Performance in Autocracies

   • Romy Escher, Melanie Walter-Rogg

   Pages 85-103

6. Democracy Quality, Political Corruption and Environmental Performance

   • Romy Escher, Melanie Walter-Rogg

   Pages 105-148

7. Summary, Conclusions and Policy Implications

   • Romy Escher, Melanie Walter-Rogg

   Pages 149-157

8. Back Matter

   Pages 159-162

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There are considerable differences in environmental performance and outcomes across both democracies and autocracies, but there is little understanding of how levels of democracy and autocracy influence environmental performance. This book examines whether analysing the effects of individual democratic features separately can contribute to a better understanding of cross-national variance in environmental performance. The authors show that levels of social equality in particular, as well as the strength of local and regional democracy, contribute significantly to explaining cross-national variation in environmental performance. On the other hand, a high level of political corruption affects a country’s ability to adopt and implement environmental policies effectively. In exploring the inter-relationship between democratic qualities, political corruption, and environmental performance, this book presents policymakers and political theorists with a clear picture of which aspects of democratic societies are most conducive to producing a better environment. 

• environmental performance
• democracy
• autocracy
• democratic qualities
• environmental protection
• climate policy
• regime type
• environmental theory
• climate change
• political institutions
• corruption
• institutional quality
• social equality
• local democracy
• regional democracy
• policy implementation
• policy implications

• Institut für Politikwissenschaft, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

  Romy Escher, Melanie Walter-Rogg

Romy Escher is a research assistant at the Institute of Political Science of the University of Regensburg, Germany. Her research interests include Climate Policy, Comparative Policy Analysis, and empirical research methods.


Melanie Walter-Rogg is Professor of Political Science and Methodology at the University of Regensburg, Germany. She has co-edited The Political Ecology of the Metropolis (2013) and authored a number of articles and book chapters on Public Policy Analysis, Metropolitan Governance, Urban Democracy as well as Political Culture and Political Behaviour.

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