Natural scientists, social scientists, and the environment: A cross‐border analysis

Abstract

This study uses interviews with 64 Canadian and 65 United States scientists to compare and contrast their perspectives with respect to environmental policy making across borders, both geographic (Canada versus United States) and disciplinary (natural versus social science). The findings indicate that important imbalances remain between Canadian and United States scientists’ perceptions about cross‐border pollution. There appears to be a great divergence between the responses of natural and social scientists in the United States and a robust similarity between the responses of natural and social scientists in Canada. In the end, the results support the view that issues centered on the Canada‐United States environmental borderlands remain firmly linked to national differences and issues centered on the science‐ policy linkage remain substantially linked to disciplinary differences.

Notes

Alm is Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Boise State University. Simon is Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Bowling Green State University.