Autos, Smog and Pollution Control: The Politics of Air Quality Management in California

California has a world-wide reputation as a pioneer of innovative policies for the control of air pollution by motor vehicles. This book analyzes the difficulties which the state has encountered in developing and implementing these policies. The author uses an analytical framework drawn from the leading theories of public policy formation, such as policy communities, to address the issues raised by California's policy-making experience. This study shows how an ambitious attempt to encourage the use of electrically-powered vehicles has faced technological constraints, consumer resistance and political opposition. Other policies developed in the state, such as dealing with "gross emitters", trip reduction programmes and the construction of light rail and subway systems are also critically examined. The concluding chapter relates Californian experience to the developing debate in Britain and the European Union about air pollution from motor vehicles.