Environmentalism among nation-states

This article attempts to offer a better understanding of international environmental cooperation by measuring state environmentalism. We examine whether there is a structural response by nation-states to various international agreements on the environment. Using alpha and theta reliability scaling, we create an environmental scale that measures the propensity of a nation-state to take political action in support of the environment, as indicated by the ratification of key international treaties. Our work suggests that environmentalism is, in fact, a structural characteristic of nation-states that leads them to respond in a patterned way to environmental policies.