Purdue professor of political science Leigh Raymond, author of Reclaiming the Atmospheric Commons, writes on the Washington Post'sMonkey Cage blog that "carbon dividend policies" can be both functional and popular. Both claims are dubious.
In Raymond's view carbon tax schemes should (1) coerce companies to eschew coal, oil, and natural gas and (2) spend the tax revenues in a socially-beneficial way. He refers to the social investment piece as a "carbon dividend," as do Ted Halstead, George Shultz, and James Baker of the Climate Leadership Council (CLC), who recently pitched the White House on their scheme. Where Raymond and the CLC differ is that Raymond prefers more creative "dividend" ideas than the CLC's preferred monthly check to each American household.
