Policy analysis reveals that diminished political trust constrained regulatory capacity in Colorado sage-grouse conservation, highlighting vulnerabilities in collaborative governance.
Key Points
To evaluate how systemic political capacity, political trust, and legitimacy shape regulatory success or failure in proactive species conservation.
Extended the policy capacity framework by conceptualizing systemic political capacity as rooted in political trust conditioned by legitimacy.
Conducted a policy case analysis examining proactive conservation initiatives for the sage-grouse under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in Colorado.
Contested legitimacy surrounding coercive federal intervention significantly reduced local political trust in regulatory authorities.
Constrained systemic political capacity prevented the establishment of enforceable conservation arrangements capable of meeting federal standards.