Understanding Political Discourse on Climate Change in U.S. Congressional Hearings

How do we understand the political stagnation of national climate change policies in the United States?  Using a methodological innovation in network analysis, this project analyzes the ideological relationships among speakers providing testimony on the issue of climate change in the 109^th and 110^th Sessions of the US Congress.  This analysis shows how consensus is forming around the economic implications of regulating greenhouse gases and the policy instrument that should do the regulating.  The paper is separated into three sections.  First, we review the ways scholars have looked at climate change policymaking in the United States, paying particular attention to those who have addressed the conflicts over national policymaking. Next, we present analysis of Congressional hearings on climate change over a four year period that employs an innovation in network analysis.  This paper concludes by discussing how these findings help us understand American climate politics as well as theories about coalition formation better.