Civic associations and polycentric approaches to environmental justice in Louisiana

Lash, S. (2023). “Civic associations and polycentric approaches to environmental justice in Louisiana.” Constitutional Political Economy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10602-023-09409-w

Abstract: Louisiana has problems. It is corrupt and inefficient. Louisiana’s corruption creates, and makes it difficult to solve, important environmental problems that are harming Louisianans. Though Louisiana is not alone in having a corrupt and inefficient political institution, its endemic and entrenched corruption make Louisiana valuable for an environmental justice case study that has broader implications for similarly situated communities. The goal of this paper is to highlight what residents can do when practically constrained by corrupt and inefficient political institutions. In particular, I argue that Louisiana residents can best mitigate environmental harms through fostering thin civic associations and pursuing an Ostromian approach to increasing their governing capacities.