Kuznets Populism in Green Politics

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.