A fundamental problem in determining the best measures for the care of the environment is the recognition that the needs of the individual must be balanced with socially desirable ecological goals. This volume assesses the current state-of-the-art in environmental policy and offers directions for the future. The author uses an innovative approach in the characterization and solution of environmental problems by examining the design of environmental policy in the "real world", through social, political and economic structures. The book is aimed at students, researchers and anyone who is interested in understanding what economists and political scientists have to add to the debate over environmental policy. Other titles in this series include "Non-renewable Resources Extraction Programs and Markets", "The Political Economy of Protection" and "The Economics of the Patent System".