Cracking Fracking: Explaining Policy Differences Across States on the Marcellus Shale Rock Unit

Authors

Jacob Pries, The College of WoosterFollow

Abstract

This study aims to determine if there is a correlation between the five state conditions I have selected and policy stringency on hydraulic fracturing within states belong to the Marcellus Shale. I will be examining the factors within these four states Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York. The five factors I will examine are as follows: active environmental organizations, the absence of a natural gas tax, the absence of a property tax, good overall economic conditions, and a unified Democratic state legislature. It is my goal to determine if there is a correlation between the number of factors met and policy stringency. I expect there to be stricter policy with more conditions met in this study. I will also be attempting to determine if there is a factor being examined that is salient among all four states indicating to me that the factor may be paramount in determining hydraulic fracturing policy. Using a comparative case study I find that the more factors met correlates to more stringent restrictions on fracking and I also find no specific variable to be more salient than the others.

Advisor

Van Doorn, Bas

Department

Political Science

Recommended Citation

Pries, Jacob, "Cracking Fracking: Explaining Policy Differences Across States on the Marcellus Shale Rock Unit" (2017). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 7780.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/7780

Disciplines

American Politics

Publication Date

2017

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis