Date of Award
Spring 6-13-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Degree Name
B.A. in Political Science and Economics
Organizational Unit
College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Political Science
First Advisor
Philip Chen
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
Environmental policy, Rural American politics, Conservation, Rural policy perspectives, Ranchers, Wyoming, Rural perceptions
Abstract
Rural Americans play an essential role in environmental protection policy in the United States due to their political influence and their management of large amounts of land. This study examines what factors affect rural support for and opposition to environmental management policies in order to gain a deeper understanding of when and why rural Americans support and oppose certain environment-related policies. Data collected from interviews with seven current and former ranchers in Wyoming along with information gathered from three relevant environmental organizations is analyzed through the lenses of economics, partisan politics, rural identity, and policy framing. The findings of this study reveal that rural Americans are more likely to support environmental policies when they are named as conservation, are incentive-based programs, involve local input and collaboration, build from local relationships, and are economically beneficial. Rural Americans are less likely to support environmental protection or preservation policies that limit land use, involve strict regulations, are developed and enforced by outside actors, and may be financially harmful. These findings have important implications on environmental policy design in the United States.
Copyright Date
5-18-2026
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Adeline Braun
Provenance
Received from Author
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
64 pgs
File Size
440 KB
Recommended Citation
Braun, Adeline, "Collaboration in Conservation: Examining Environmental Policy Perspectives Among Ranchers in Rural America" (2026). Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals. 64.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/undergraduate_theses/64
Included in
American Politics Commons, Environmental Policy Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Rural Sociology Commons