Is Partisan Conflict a Barrier to Environmental Policy?

ABSTRACT This paper employs full and subsample rolling‐window tests to investigate the impact of partisan conflicts (PCs) on environmental policy (EP) in the United States. The findings reveal a time‐varying relationship between PC and EP, with negative influences from PC on EP, suggesting that partisanship can hinder the advancement of EP. However, the negative impacts of EP on PC demonstrate that PC can be used to anticipate political situations. The sub‐sample identified specific sub‐periods where significant causality exists. These periods often coincide with major political events or shifts in administration, indicating that the influence of PC on EP varies over time. The results support the principal‐agent model, explaining that partisan causes a discrepancy between the desired and actual policy levels, indicating that political intervention may constrain the implementation of EP. Climate policy requires a collaborative governance model to build consensus.