THE POLITICS OF LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS TO CLEAN AIR LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, GERMANY AND INDIA: LEASSON FOR IMPROVING THAILAND’s LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS

Authors

  • Chatchaphanu Yimaon Faculty of Political Science, Ramkhamhaeng University

Keywords:

Politics, Legislative Amendment, Clean Air Law

Abstract

Objectives of this research article were: 1. To study the amendment processes of countries that have succeeded or failed in managing air pollution, namely the United States, Japan, Germany, and India; 2. To compare the amendment processes of the United States, Japan, Germany, and India; and 3. To present lessons for developing Thailand’s Clean Air Act, conducted by the qualitative research employing documentary research, in which the research tools consisted of a legal analysis form, a summary recording form for secondary documents, and a comparative form for principles and approaches of each country.

Findings were as follows: successful and unsuccessful countries follow similar amendment processes, namely establishing legal principles to be amended into articles or used as incentives, and developing political institutions. However, comparative analysis showed that the key differentiating factor in practice was the effectiveness of political institutions. Therefore, the lesson for improving Thailand’s amendment process is to develop political institutions that are independent and flexible, enabling scientific knowledge to serve as the core foundation and creating space for public participation. This will lead to an effective and sustainable clean air governance system.

References

Al Jazeera. (2024). Delhi air pollution: Why has India failed to clean up its toxic smog?. Retrieved November 20, 2025, from https://shorturl.asia/Yy8Kj

Astutya, P. & Raj, S. (2021). Air pollution and the Constitution of India. Law Times Journal, 1–5.

Bhardwaj, R. C. (2007). Constitution amendment in India (with Constitution of India). New Delhi: Universal Law Publishing.

Chen, Z. et al. (2022). Does institutional quality affect air pollution?. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 29(19), 28317-28338.

Connelly, J. et al. (2002). Politics and the environment: From theory to practice (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.

Currie, D. P. (1982). Air pollution control in West Germany. The University of Chicago Law Review, 49(2), 355–393.

Desai, U. (Ed.). (2002). Environmental politics and policy in industrialized countries. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Government of India. (1981). The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 (pp. 4–5). Retrieved November 25, 2025, from https://shorturl.asia/DkCt4

Hayamizu, T. (2025). Development of air pollution control framework in Japan and cooperation with Asian countries. Tokyo: Center of Health and Environmental Risk Research.

Jacobs, E. T. et al. (2018). The Donora smog revisited: 70 years after the event that inspired the Clean Air Act. American Journal of Public Health, 108(S2), S85-S88.

Kohli, K. & Menon, M. (2021). Development of environmental laws in India. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

McKean, M. A. (1981). Environmental protest and citizen politics in Japan. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Mukhopadhyay, K. (2009). Air pollution in India and its impact on the health of different income groups. New York: Nova Science Publishers.

Nishimura, H. (1992). How to conquer air pollution: A Japanese experience. Nagoya, Japan: United Nations Centre for Regional Development.

Patterson, J. J. & Beunen, R. (2019). Institutional work in environmental governance. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 62(1), 1–11.

Sabatier, P. A. & Jenkins-Smith, H. C. (1988). Symposium editors’ introduction. Policy Sciences, 21(2–3). Retrieved November 5, 2025, from https://shorturl.asia/3hJ5k

Schmitz, S. (2022). Conceptualizing the legal notion of “state of the art” in the context of IT security [Conference presentation]. 16th IFIP Summer School on Privacy and Identity Management. Retrieved November 15, 2025, from https://germanlawarchive.iuscomp.org/?p=315

Schreurs, M. A. (2003). Environmental politics in Japan, Germany, and the United States. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Stern, A. C. (1982). History of air pollution legislation in the United States. Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association, 32(1), 44–61.

The Legal Quorum. (2025). Environmental crisis: Cause and effect of Stockholm Conference in India. Retrieved November 5, 2025, from https://shorturl.asia/63YKk

Verma, A. (2021). Law of environment in India: Problems and challenges in its enforcement. Research Ambition: An International Multidisciplinary E-Journal, 6(2), 17–26.

Vichit-Vadakan, N. & Vajanapoom, N. (2011). Health impact from air pollution in Thailand: Current and future challenges. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119(5), A197–A198.

Downloads

Published

2026-04-25

How to Cite

Yimaon, C. (2026). THE POLITICS OF LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS TO CLEAN AIR LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, GERMANY AND INDIA: LEASSON FOR IMPROVING THAILAND’s LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS. Journal of MCU Social Science Review, 15(2), 96–109. retrieved from https://so03.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jssr/article/view/295623