Air Pollution Control in New Jersey and Ohio: Institutional Legacies and State Building, 1954 – 1970

Abstract

Why was New Jersey able to construct a more robust air pollution control regime after World War II while Ohio lagged far behind? Moreover, why did Ohio — a pioneer in early air pollution control efforts — fall behind New Jersey during this period? Both of these states were heavily-industrialized, densely populated, and concerned about maintaining a competitive economy. This paper explores the role played by institutional legacies in shaping bureaucratic politics as well as the development of effective government agencies. It demonstrates that statewide action on air pollution was primarily shaped by the states’ institutional legacies (or lack thereof) from the Progressive Era. In Ohio, extant urban pollution agencies remained the center of pollution control during the 1960s even as policymakers recognized their limited capacity to address air pollution. In contrast, policymakers in New Jersey could design a statewide agency virtually from scratch without disrupting existing institutions and their relationships with affected industries. While it took some time for New Jersey to develop an effective state agency, policymakers and pollution control advocates could focus on improving one statewide agency rather than several urban agencies, thus easing their path to developing an agency capable of regulating corporate activity.