Faculty & Research | SDSU College of Arts & Letters

Science, Technology and Public Opinion in Los Angeles Resource Policy, 1930s – 1950s.

Professor(s)

Sarah S. Elkind

Department

History

Description

This research, and the resulting book, examine the general public's reactions to and the technical merits of American environmental policies of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Historical studies from Los Angeles' air pollution, flood control, petroleum drilling, beach recreation, hydroelectic development and water resources planning map an intriguing shift in the functional definition of the public good; after World War II, this new definition pushed the nation away from Progressive-style regulation and towards policies that promoted business prosperity at the expense of other public amenities. The study aims to determine the source of this policy realignment. Did specific proposals enacted from the 1930s to the 1950s reflect public opinion? Did they reflect the best science available at the time? Did they actually improve the conditions they were intended to?

Contact Information

Sarah S. Elkind
Phone: (619) 594-0930
selkind@mail.sdsu.edu
Website: none







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