Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Constructing a 'representative claim' for action on climate change
T2 - Evidence from interviews with politicians
AU - Willis, Rebecca
PY - 2018/11
Y1 - 2018/11
N2 - At the 2015 Paris Summit, global leaders agreed a strategy to tackle climate change. Under the agreement, each country must prepare a national plan. What challenges does this pose for politicians? How do they reconcile their representative role with understandings of climate change, and measures required to address it? This paper analyses interviews with UK politicians, through the framework of the ‘representative claim’ developed by Michael Saward, seeing representation as a dynamic interaction between politicians and those they claim to represent. Thus politicians need to construct a ‘representative claim’ to justify action on climate. Four different types of claims are identified: a ‘cosmopolitan’claim; a ‘local prevention’ claim; a ‘co-benefits’ claim and a ‘surrogate’ claim. The analysis shows that it is not straightforward for a politician to argue that action is in the interests of their electorate, and that climate advocates need to support efforts to construct and defend claims.
AB - At the 2015 Paris Summit, global leaders agreed a strategy to tackle climate change. Under the agreement, each country must prepare a national plan. What challenges does this pose for politicians? How do they reconcile their representative role with understandings of climate change, and measures required to address it? This paper analyses interviews with UK politicians, through the framework of the ‘representative claim’ developed by Michael Saward, seeing representation as a dynamic interaction between politicians and those they claim to represent. Thus politicians need to construct a ‘representative claim’ to justify action on climate. Four different types of claims are identified: a ‘cosmopolitan’claim; a ‘local prevention’ claim; a ‘co-benefits’ claim and a ‘surrogate’ claim. The analysis shows that it is not straightforward for a politician to argue that action is in the interests of their electorate, and that climate advocates need to support efforts to construct and defend claims.
KW - climate change
KW - politicians
KW - representation
KW - United Kingdom
KW - interviews
U2 - 10.1177/0032321717753723
DO - 10.1177/0032321717753723
M3 - Journal article
VL - 66
SP - 940
EP - 958
JO - Political Studies
JF - Political Studies
SN - 0032-3217
IS - 4
ER -