My research interests are rooted in the study of global environmental problems. I examine social, political and economic responses to these problems at various levels of analysis – global, national, regional and individual. I am primarily interested in explaining why certain actors adopt the energy and environmental practices and policies they do, with a view to garnering a better understanding of how interests and preferences interact with the socio-economic and institutional contexts within which they are embedded.
This research leads me to analyse such factors as the role of experts, interest group mobilization, ideological and partisan polarization, perceptions of risk, voter preferences, public opinion, and the regional concentration of energy resources – in interaction with economic systems, political regimes (e.g. electoral rules, boundaries, federalism) and social norms – in the formulation and implementation of environmental public policy. I am currently working on several projects funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Fonds de recherche sur la société et la culture (FRQSC) du Québec, and Genome Canada, among others.