Class Year
2023
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Fall 2020
Department 1
Political Science
Abstract
The world is currently undergoing an energy transition from primarily fossil fuels to cleaner energy. The developing world is becoming more advanced, spawning relentless economic growth and an increase in energy consumption. Energy demand and economic growth are inextricably linked which poses a paradoxical question about future economic growth during a period of energy transition. Unfortunately, the transition requires large upfront costs with no guaranteed net benefit. A multitude of studies depict the impact of education, party identification, and age on how individuals perceive alternative energy. This study shows that views on governmental spending and party membership have a paradoxical relationship with the development of new energy sources. Republican individuals who support liberal economic views tend to be less supportive of the energy transition compared to their liberal or conservatively economic counterparts. This study posits that non-republicans, regardless of their views on the economy, are indistinguishable from fiscally conservative Republicans. The complexity between funding the energy transition and partisanship suggest that an individual’s perspective depends on their willingness to promote clean energy over other economic programs.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Silvis, Nicholas L., "Energy Demand and Economic Growth: Public Opinion and Mutual Exclusivity" (2020). Student Publications. 904.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/904
Included in
Environmental Policy Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Oil, Gas, and Energy Commons, Political Science Commons
Comments
Written for POL 215: Methods of Political Science