Nationalism, Polarization, and Climate Policy
Climate breakfast seminar with Robert Schertzer, University of Toronto.
The climate debate in liberal democracies has become increasingly polarized between activists and skeptics divided over how – or whether – to respond. This talk argues that nationalism is an important but under-examined driver of this polarization during the agenda-setting phase of climate policy debates. Drawing on a systematic study of speeches by Republican and Democratic presidential candidates in recent U.S. election campaigns, the talk shows that nationalist rhetoric is among the most prominent frames through which climate change is articulated across the political spectrum. This reliance on nationalist framing cuts across partisan and policy positions: both climate activists on the left and skeptics on the right embed their climate policy positions in nationalist narratives. Crucially, they draw from competing conceptions of the nature of the nation and its interests. These findings point to a broader dynamic of “nationalist polarization,” in which complex policy challenges are embedded in struggles over the meaning of the nation itself. When climate change is framed in this way, political elites advance rival conceptions of who “we” are, what is at stake, and what responses are legitimate. This process hardens opposing positions, casts political opponents as existential threats to the nation, and constrains the space for deliberation. The talk concludes by reflecting on the implications of nationalist polarization for the prospects for effective climate governance.
About the speaker
Robert Schertzer is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Political Science at the University of Toronto. His research examines politics and policy across three areas: federalism, constitutional law, and national identity. He is currently leading a multi-year project on how nationalism shapes climate policy in liberal democracies. His work has appeared in many top venues, including Environmental Politics, Political Communication, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Publius, Nations and Nationalism and the International Journal of Constitutional Law. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, he spent a decade with the Government of Canada working on social and immigration policy.