APEC 433/633

AGRICULTURAL LAW AND RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

MW 2:30-3:45 Office: 263 Barre

Dr. Molly Espey       656-6401

email: mespey@clemson.edu

This course will focus on economic analysis of the relationships between agriculture and the environment.  Agricultural policy and law influence agricultural producers' behavior in ways that often have impacts on the environment.  In recognition of agriculture's impact on the environment, policy makers have designed policies focused on reducing or mitigating negative environmental impacts.  Policies such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP) provide positive incentives to encourage land conservation and habitat protection.  Environmental policies such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act dictate air and water quality outcomes, increasing costs of agricultural production in an effort to decrease polluting behavior.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a deeper understanding of the interrelationship between agriculture and the environment and the influence of government policy on the behavior of agricultural producers.  Students will be introduced to basic economic and legal concepts needed to analyze the agricultural/environment relationship and will be provided with an historical overview of both agricultural and environmental policy.  Students will learn to apply these tools and theory to analyze and critically evaluate alternative policies.

READINGS:

There is no text for this course.  Copies of readings will be provided by the instructor, available in the Agricultural and Applied Economics Department Library (AAEDL) in 275 Barre Hall, or available online as indicated in the "Course Schedule" and on individual assignments.  Supplemental readings will also be provided throughout the course.

OFFICE HOURS:

MW 10:15-11:00, 1:30-2:00

Students are free to see me any time I am in the office, but I will make a point of being available during the above times.  If the above hours are not convenient, students may also make an appointment with me.

EVALUATION:

Case Studies (see schedule below)  25%
In Class Work            30%
      Individual (20%)   
      Team Work (10%)
Term Paper (due 11/25)  20%
Final Exam (12/12)            25%

Written assignments are due at the beginning of class.  All late assignments will be marked down 10% for each class period late.  Exceptions may be made if the student discusses the problem with me prior to the due date.

Case Studies will involve analysis of various policies and the application of theory discussed in class.  Relevant readings will be provided for each case study.  Time will be spent in class discussing the cases but students are expected to complete their own written work addressing specific questions and issues.

There will be graded in class work assigned on a regular basis.  Hence it is important that you attend class on a regular basis.  The in class work will typically involve short quizzes related to the assigned readings.  The quizzes will be completed individually first, then by assigned teams. Team work grades will be based on the team score on the quizzes.  Individual in class grade will be based on these quizzes (50%) and on teammates' evaluation of each other (50%).  Teammate evaluation scores will be the average of the points received from the other members of one's group.  Each individual will have a total number of points to assign to other group members and ratings must be differentiated.  For example, if there are five members on a team and forty points to allocate to the other four individuals, the rater cannot assign everyone a 10 - at least one 11 must be given which means at least one 9 must be given as well.

Term papers will be individually conducted economic analysis of a policy that deals with an agricultural/environmental conflict or issue.  Topics must be approved by Dr. Espey.  A problem statement and outline are due October 16 and final papers are due November 25.  Papers will be graded on the quality of writing and on the economic and informational content.  The final exam will be comprehensive and is scheduled for Thursday December 12, from 8:00-11:00 a.m.

Case Studies

From the Office of Student Disability Services:

“It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have disabilities. Students are encouraged to contact Student Disability Services to discuss their individual needs for accommodation.”

Academic Integrity Policy of the University:

Academic Dishonesty is defined as:  (1) Giving, receiving or using unauthorized aid on any academic work; (2)  Plagiarism, which includes the copying of language, structure, or ideas of another and attributing the work to one's own efforts; (3) Attempts to copy, edit, or delete computer files that belong to another person or use of Computer Center account numbers that belong to another person without the permission of the file owner, account owner or file number owner.  All academic work submitted for grading contains an implicit pledge and may contain, at the request of an instructor, an explicit pledge by the student that no unauthorized aid has been received.

“As members of the Clemson University community, we have inherited Thomas Green Clemson’s vision of this institution as a “high seminary of learning.” Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form.”

Statement on the Trial Period for Plus/Minus Grading

Clemson University is committed to all aspects of academic excellence, including the exploration of possible improvements to grading policies. Accordingly, beginning with the 2002 2003 academic year, a trial period for the plus/minus grading system will be in effect for two years. Although the trial will be ongoing, only non-plus/minus grades will be used to calculate GPRs. There will be no effect on transcripts or grade reports, and the data will be used solely for research purposes.

If at the end of the trial period the plus/minus system is implemented, its implementation will effect all current students at once; i.e., the change will be announced in the Undergraduate Announcements for the year in which it is to take effect. This should ensure that a smooth transition is made.

For more information on this grading system, please see the Registrar’s web site at www.registrar.clemson.edu.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Section I:  Background

Agriculture and the Environment
            Thurman, Ch.1

Economic Efficiency, Externalities, Public Goods and the Role of Government
            Gwartney and Stroup, Ch. 5
            Stephen, Ch. 3
            Seitz et al, Ch. 15 - skim (in AAEDL)

Introduction to Law
            Looney and Uchtmann, Ch. 1
            Chapman, Ch. 2

Introduction to the Policy Process 
           Knutson et al, Ch. 3 (in AAEDL)

Section II:  Agricultural Policies

History of Agricultural Policy
            Browne et al, Ch. 2
            Knutson et al, Ch. 1 (in AAEDL)
            Knutson et al, Ch. 10 - read 237-245 carefully, skim 245-282 (in AAEDL)

Farm Level Programs (commodity and environmental)
            Browne et al, Ch. 8
            Hosemann, http://www.perc.org/publications/essay/hosemann.html

Irrigation Subsidies
            Gardner, Ch. 12
            Anderson and Leal, Ch. 8

Section III:  Environmental Policy

        Environmental Law
            Meiners and Morriss, Ch. 5
            Yandle, Ch. 8

        Risk Management
            Freeman and Portney
            http://www.rff.org/misc_docs/risk_book.pdf

FINAL EXAM:  Thursday, December 12, 8:00-11:00 a.m.

References:

Anderson, T.L. and D.R. Leal (2001). Free Market Environmentalism Revisited, Palgrave, N.Y.

Browne, W.P., J.R. Skees, L.E. Wanson, P.B. Thompson, L.J. Unnevehr (1992).  Sacred Cows and Hot Potatoes:  Agrarian Myths in Agricultural Policy, Westview Press, Colorado.

Chapman, S.R. (1998).  Environmental Law and Policy, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Freeman, A.M. and P.R. Portney (1999).  "Economics Clarifies Choices About Managing Risk" in The RFF Reader in Environmental and Resource Management, edited by W.E. Oates.

Gardner, B.D. (1995).  Plowing Ground in Washington:  The Political Economy of U.S. Agriculture, Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, San Francisco, California.

Gwartney, J.D., R. L. Stroup, and R.S. Sobel (2000).  Microeconomics:  Private and Public Choices (Ninth Edition), The Dryden Press.

Hosemann, J.K. (2001).  "Agriculture and the Environment:  The Mixed Legacy of Federal Intervention", A PERC Essay, http://www.perc.org/publications/essay/hosemann.html

Knutson, R.D., J.B. Penn, and W.T. Boehm (1995).  Agricultural and Food Policy (Third Edition), Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Looney, J.W. and D.L. Uchtmann (1994).  Agricultural Law:  Principles and Cases (Second Edition), McGraw Hill.

Meiners, R.E. and A.P. Morriss (2000).  "Reclaiming the Common Law's Role in Environmental Law" in The Common Law and the Environment, edited by R.E. Meiners and A.P. Morriss, Rowman and Littlefield.

Seitz, W.D., G.C. Nelson, and H.G. Halcrow (2002).  Economics of Resources, Agriculture, and Food (Second Edition), McGraw Hill.

Stephen, F.H. (1988).  The Economics of the Law, Iowa State University Press.

Thurman, W.N. (1995).  Assessing the Environmental Impact of Farm Policies, The AEI Press, Washington, D.C.

Yandle, B. (1993).  "Community Markets to Control Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution" in Taking the Environment Seriously, edited by R.E. Meiners and B. Yandle, Rowman and Littlefield.

This is the proposed syllabus and is subject to change. The official syllabus is the one handed out in class

Fall 2002 Course List    Ag Econ Home

2002 by Molly Espey, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0355

updated 9/25/022