States and anti-nuclear movements

About this book

This topical work compares government reactions to anti-nuclear movements. By examining the responses of eight Western European states in terms of access, agenda, policy and the use of force, its basic contention is that the impact of the emergent anti-nuclear movements cannot be understood through the conventional analysis of state structures and elite conflicts. Instead, it tackles the explanatory task through the prism of state-movement interactions. It goes beyond the observed correlations and, by assessing the conflicting influences of state elites, political, economic and military structures, national resource endownments, and previous policy commitments, traces the actual policy impacts of anti-nuclear movements. This comparative study makes a valuable contribution to both environmental policy and social movement research. Containing a wealth of first-hand data, States and Anti-Nuclear Movements provides a challenging read to anyone interested in political science and political sociology.