The Messy Process of Making Environmental Policy

With congressional approval ratings hovering at record lows, most Americans think of policymakers as relishing jabs at their opponents, often through attack ads. Indeed, it is easy to make the argument that more and more Americans are grateful for their DVRs and the ability to fast-forward commercials. With such tactics commonplace, it may come as a surprise to find out that Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, has never used attack ads or television commercials in his campaigns (Nichols 2012). To interact with his constituents, Senator Sanders prefers knocking on doors and attending town hall meetings (Nichols 2012).