The author coins 'Kuznets populism' to argue that higher‑income, white‑collar elites accept slower growth for environmental amenities, while a rising populist right resists those tradeoffs. As anti‑elite politics spreads, Boomer‑era, managerial environmentalism loses power, opening space for pro‑growth conservation.
— This reframes environmental conflict as a class‑structured political economy problem, predicting policy shifts as populist coalitions challenge elite‑driven green rules.
Judge Glock
2026.01.06
86% relevant
The article documents how a progressive politician (Spanberger) ties aggressive climate and energy mandates (battery storage requirements, efficiency programs) to an affordability platform and warns those mandates will raise consumer costs—exactly the tradeoff Kuznets Populism describes (elite green preferences producing higher costs for broader electorates and fueling populist backlash).
Richard Morrison
2025.10.08
100% relevant
The article claims 'a battle between elite environmental policymaking associated with the Baby Boomer generation and an emerging “Kuznets populism,”' and cites Brexit/Trump as markers of the anti‑elite turn.
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