Date of Award
12-2008
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Sociology
First Advisor
Dr. Ron Kramer
Second Advisor
Dr. Zoann Snyder
Third Advisor
Dr. Zoann Snyder
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Using the Kyoto Protocol as a centrifugal focus point, this research conceptualizes the failure of the United States to act on global warming as a state crime. The decision of the United States not to ratify the protocol was largely based on economic justifications. However, the actions taken following the Kyoto Protocol indicate that the US government was instead dedicated more to their own economical interests, rather than those of the state was a whole. Through the exploration of possible economic and political motivations, the research identifies ulterior motives of the Bush administration that have proved to be detrimental to the environment. Through the application of a theoretical model of state crime developed by Michalowski and Kramer (2006), the opportunity and motivation for a state crime emerges and is identified.
Recommended Citation
Doyon, Jacquelynn A., "Breaking Protocol: The Failure of the Bush Administration to Ratify the Kyoto Protocol as A State Crime" (2008). Masters Theses. 3859.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/3859