This research utilizes the 2010 Environmental Performance Index to examine how electoral rules affect environmental performance in 20 Latin American democracies. Using supporting time-series analysis with dependent variables for habitat protection, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide emissions from 2000 to 2008, our study finds that proportionality and party systems influence environmental performance in the region. Results show that representation impacts ecosystem vitality more so than public health. We account for this gap by arguing that levels of political representation influence the allocation of public and private goods which, in turn, help determine environmental outcomes. Our findings do not always paint a consistent picture, which may be attributed to the difficulties of operationalizing complex concepts such as environmental performance within and across countries and examining how these relationships change over time. Additional research is warranted to tease out these relationships.

中文翻译：

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拉丁美洲环境绩效的政治制度解释

本研究利用 2010 年环境绩效指数来检验选举规则如何影响 20 个拉丁美洲民主国家的环境绩效。使用支持性时间序列分析和 2000 年至 2008 年栖息地保护、颗粒物和二氧化碳排放的因变量，我们的研究发现，比例和政党制度会影响该地区的环境绩效。结果表明，代表性比公共卫生更能影响生态系统活力。我们通过论证政治代表的水平影响公共和私人物品的分配来解释这一差距，这反过来又有助于确定环境结果。我们的发现并不总是描绘出一致的画面，这可能归因于难以实施复杂的概念，例如国家内部和国家之间的环境绩效，以及检查这些关系如何随时间变化。需要额外的研究来梳理这些关系。