Research

The increased interest in governance with government rather than governance by government has garnered much attention in the study of alternative, decentralized governance approaches in environmental policy and management. Yet questions remain about their emergence, diffusion, and impact. Why do some firms and organizations participate and not others? What explains different levels of effort and performance? Do they work? If so, by how much? Who/which group gains or loses?

To answer these questions, my research bridges the fields of economics, public policy, and management. I have been, and am, involved in projects that investigate the drivers and impact of voluntary approaches and market-based policies across sectors and in developed and developing countries. My work has examined the interaction between public and private provisions of public goods, the role of markets, institutions, and political economy considerations in policymaking and policy design. I have also considered the implications of alternative governance approaches on social equity and environmental justice and the role of cities and local governments. 

I collect novel data and use a variety of research methods. My methodological interests and expertise include quasi-experimental approaches, survey-based techniques, multilevel/hierarchical modeling, discrete-continuous choice modeling, dynamic panel modeling, time series analysis, big data techniques for causal inference, and systematic interviews with key stakeholders to explore causal mechanisms. 

A list of my published articles and current projects are here and here. Read about my forthcoming MIT Press book here.