Congressional Committee Members as Independent Agency Overseers: A Case Study

1960 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 911-920 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seymour Scher
Keyword(s):  
Labor Relations ◽  
Regulatory Agencies ◽  
Congressional Committee ◽  
The Public ◽  
National Labor Relations Board ◽  
Congressional Committees ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Public Hearings ◽  
Regulatory Commission

This paper is concerned with the behavior of members of a Congressional committee in their role as overseers of an independent regulatory commission. Congressional committees seem periodically to become aware of the presence of the regulatory agencies and after a more or less spectacular examination of one or another of them, allow them to slip back to an undisturbed and unnoticed routine. Their status as “independent” agencies leaves to Congress the formal responsibility both for checking on the fulfillment of their legislative mandates and for preserving them from domination by their clientele and the President. Too little notice has been taken, however, of the nature of the control of these regulatory agencies emanating from Congress.This study results from an examination of the House Education and Labor Committee as it reviewed the performance of the National Labor Relations Board in 1953. My sources are the public hearings of the Committee in the 83d Congress and interviews with Committee members over a two-year period thereafter.

scholarly journals Can independent regulatory agencies mend Europe’s democracy? The case of the European Medicines Agency’s public hearing on Valproate

2021 ◽  
pp. 136914812110543
Author(s):  
Matthew Wood
Keyword(s):  
Drug Distribution ◽  
Public Consultation ◽  
Regulatory Agencies ◽  
European Medicines Agency ◽  
Public Hearing ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Hearings ◽  
Critical Case Study ◽  
New Evidence

In 2017, the European Medicines Agency staged the first effort at democratic innovation within transnational European Union institutions directly influencing the transnational regulation of medicines. Alongside its public consultation on epilepsy drug Valproate, European Medicines Agency included a public hearing involving representatives of patients and testimony from those directly affected by the medicines. Using this critical case study, the article argues from a deliberative democratic perspective that although the hearing in many ways exhibited the traditional shortcomings of elite-driven deliberation, it also demonstrated unexpected and surprising deliberative qualities. Based on new quantitative analysis of the hearing using the Discourse Quality Index, and qualitative observation of over 4 hours of footage, the article argues European Medicines Agency’s hearing facilitated equitable access and influence of patients and members of the public who had previously been excluded from decision making on drug distribution. These findings provide important new evidence of the deliberative democratic value of public hearings.

scholarly journals Determinants of Indonesian Muslim consumers’ willingness to pay for Taiwanese snacks

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Atika Nur Aini ◽  
Anya Safira
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Religious Commitment ◽  
Market Potential ◽  
The Public ◽  
Price Consciousness ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Halal Food ◽  
The Government

Indonesia is a country that has enormous market potential in terms of the halal food industry. The government has been attracting foreign food manufacturers to venture into the country's market; this includes snacks from Taiwan, one of them being Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks. The public has been highly critical of Shihlin's food products of late due to doubts about its halal status and compliance with halal standards in manufacturing and supply chain activities. The company responded to the public's concern by obtaining the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) halal certification, increasing prices and affecting consumers' willingness to pay. In the form of a case study, this research aims to analyse the factors that influence Muslim consumers' willingness to pay for Taiwanese snacks in Indonesia, specifically Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks. A total of 326 Indonesian Muslims took part in our survey, which data was analysed using SmartPLS. The study results revealed that animal slaughter, halal logos, price consciousness, food quality, and religious commitment positively influence Muslim consumers' willingness to pay for the snacks. The findings can benefit halal food companies in formulating strategies to guarantee consistent compliance of the halal standards in the manufacturing processes. Besides, we urge halal food regulators to provide better clarity in developing the halal and tayyib food criteria to earn better trust and confidence from Muslim consumers.

scholarly journals Alberta’s 2002 Teacher Strike: The Political Economy of Labor Relations in Education

2010 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Bob Barnetson
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Labor Relations ◽  
The State ◽  
The Political ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Canadian Province ◽  
The Public ◽  
Worker Resistance

In 2002, approximately two thirds of school teachers in the Canadian province of Alberta went on strike. Drawing on media, government and union documents, this case study reveals some contours of the political economy of labor relations in education that are normally hidden from view. Among these features are that the state can react to worker resistance by legally pressuring trade unions and justifying this action as in the public interest. This justification seeks to divide the working class and pit segments of it against each other. The state may also seek to limit discussion and settlements to monetary matters to avoid constraining its ability to manage the workplace or the educational system. This analysis provides a basis for developing a broader theory of the political economy of labor relations in education. It also provides trade unionists in education with information useful in formulating a strike strategy.

The Congressional Committee: A Case Study

1954 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 340-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph K. Huitt
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Political Process ◽  
The Political ◽  
Crucial Importance ◽  
Congressional Committee ◽  
Woodrow Wilson ◽  
Public Records ◽  
Congressional Committees ◽  
Committee Government

“Congressional government is Committee government” said Woodrow Wilson in 1884, and political scientists since that day have seen no reason to disagree with him. It would be reasonable to suppose then that once committees ceased to meet secretly (as they did when Wilson wrote) and began to keep verbatim public records of their proceedings, the committee process would be subjected to relentless and systematic study. Such has not been the case. The frequency with which Wilson is quoted is as much a reflection of a lack of substantive research by later students as it is a tribute to his intuitive insights.It would not be hard to make a case for close and continuous study of congressional committees. On every count, they would seem to hold as much interest for the student of politics as administrative bodies or the courts, upon which so much more attention has been lavished. They are decision-making agencies of crucial importance; it is a commonplace that they hold life-or-death power over legislation. Again, they provide a point of focus for the political process; they are “miniature legislatures,” “microcosms” of their parent bodies—not in the sense that they epitomize the larger houses, but rather that the committees are subject to the same influences and power drives, which are easier to intercept and analyze here than in the larger and more complex houses themselves.

The Politicization of Domestic Violence

2019 ◽  
pp. 38-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah M. Weissman
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Criminal Proceedings ◽  
Community Members ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Hearings ◽  
Progressive Organizations ◽  
Justice Movements

This Chapter is a case study of an incident that occurred between the Sheriff of San Francisco and his wife resulting in criminal proceedings and official misconduct charges. It considers theories of victimhood generally and as pertaining to domestic violence. It reviews public hearings held to determine whether the sheriff, who had been elected as a result of a coalition of progressive organizations, should be removed from office. The hearings reveal that the public took measure of procedural justice and substance fairness in the case against the sheriff. During public commentary, community members challenged the efficacy of the criminal justice system as a response to mitigate domestic violence and rebuffed the mainstream-domestic violence movement for its default position of “zero tolerance.” The case provides incentive for mainstream domestic violence advocates to find common ground with other social justice movements, particularly those most affected by the apparatus of the carceral state.

scholarly journals Public hearings as a tool to improve participation in regulatory policies: case study of the National Agency of Electric Energy

2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 1069-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Moreira de Castro
Keyword(s):  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
The Political ◽  
National Agency ◽  
The Public ◽  
Regulatory Policies ◽  
Participation Bias ◽  
The Social ◽  
Public Hearings

The participation of citizens in public policies is an opportunity not only to educate them, but also to increase their empowerment. However, the best way for deploying participatory policies, defining their scope and approach, still remains an open and continuous debate. Using as a case study the Brazilian National Agency of Electric Energy (Aneel), with its public hearings about tariff review, this paper aims at analyzing the democratic aspects of these hearings and challenges the hypothesis of many scholars about the social participation bias in this kind of procedure. This study points out a majority participation of experts, contrasting with the political content of discussions. And, this way, it contributes to a critical analysis of the public hearings as a participatory tool, indicating their strengths and their aspects which deserve a special attention.

scholarly journals Regulations Matter: Epistemic Monopoly, Domination, Patents, and the Public Interest

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Meghani
Keyword(s):  
Public Interest ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Regulatory Agencies ◽  
Protection Agency ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Us ◽  
Unbiased Manner ◽  
Technological Products

AbstractThis paper argues that regulatory agencies have a responsibility to further the public interest when they determine the conditions under which new technological products may be commercialized. As a case study, this paper analyzes the US 9th Circuit Court’s ruling on the efforts of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate an herbicide meant for use with seed that are genetically modified to be tolerant of the chemical. Using that case, it is argued that when regulatory agencies evaluate new technological products, they have an obligation to draw on data, analyses, and evaluations from a variety of credible epistemic sources, and not rely solely or even primarily on the technology developer. Otherwise, they create conditions for their own domination and that of the polity by the technology developer. Moreover, in the interest of advancing the public interest, regulatory agencies must evaluate new technologies in a substantively and procedurally unbiased manner.

Public Issues Associated With Planning a Large Diameter Pipeline in a Multi-Use Urban Corridor

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario E. Buszynski
Keyword(s):  
Public Involvement ◽  
Large Diameter ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Public Issues ◽  
The Public ◽  
Right Of Way ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Urban Corridor ◽  
The City

The lack of foresight by municipalities and others in preserving corridors for utilities means that there are increasingly fewer opportunities to locate linear facilities in large urban centers such as the City of Toronto. In those corridors that do exist, there are competing land uses that make it difficult to accommodate any new use. Many of these land uses are directly related to the people living adjacent to and in the vicinity of the corridors. In 2003, the Ontario Energy Board approved new “Environmental Guidelines for the Location, Construction and Operation of Hydrocarbon Pipelines and Facilities in Ontario”. The Guidelines include specific new requirements for planning pipelines in urban areas. Among other things, these new requirements involve the identification of indirectly affected landowners and a more detailed analysis of public issues and how they were resolved. Through the use of a case study, this paper identifies the public issues that were encountered in planning the location of a NPS 36 (Nominal Pipe Size 914 mm or 36 inch diameter) natural gas pipeline through residential neighbourhoods in the City of Toronto and the Town of Markham. It also describes how the public involvement requirements contained in the Ontario Energy Board’s new guidelines were incorporated into the planning process. The case study begins with a rationale for the study area selected. A description of the public issues follows. The techniques used to address these issues and the success of the public involvement program that identified 180 directly affected and 3,200 indirectly affected landowners is documented. The study results illustrate that it is possible to plan a right-of-way through an urban corridor in such a manner as to satisfy the general public, be compatible with existing development, conform to the new Ontario Energy Board Guidelines and minimize the amount of remedial work required to mitigate the impacts occurring on and adjacent to the right-of-way.

Control and Feedback in Economic Regulation: The Case of the NLRB

1985 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 1094-1116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry M. Moe
Keyword(s):  
Causal Structure ◽  
Regulatory Agencies ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Economic Regulation ◽  
Dynamic Nature ◽  
Agency Staff ◽  
Reciprocal Relationships ◽  
National Labor Relations Board ◽  
Congressional Committees ◽  
Adaptive Adjustment

This article presents an empirical analysis of the National Labor Relations Board, focusing on the balance the agency strikes between the interests of business and labor. It is oriented by a theoretical framework that, relative to popular models, takes a broader view of the causal structure of regulatory performance—one that simultaneously allows for presidents, congressional committees, the courts, agency staff, constituents, and economic conditions. The empirical results are instructive. All of these factors prove to have significant impacts on NLRB decisions. In addition, the core regulatory actors —Board members, staff, and constituents—are shown to engage in mutually adaptive adjustment: each is responsive to the decisions of each of the others, and their reciprocal relationships impart equilibrating properties to the system as a whole. Thus, the evidence points to a varied set of important determinants and to the dynamic nature of their interconnection. To the extent that these findings are at all characteristic of other regulatory agencies, simple popular models of regulation are likely to give anemic explanations, if not highly distorted accounts, of why agencies behave as they do.

Efektivitas Layanan Darurat Jakarta Siaga 112 dalam Penanganan Kebakaran oleh UPT. Pusat Data & Informasi Kebencanaan BPBD Provinsi DKI Jakarta

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Musa Musa
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Service ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information Center ◽  
Disaster Data ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Document Review

This research was conducted to determine the Effectiveness of Jakarta Siaga 112 Emergency Services in Fire Management by UPT. Disaster Data & Information Center of BPBD DKI Jakarta Province by paying attention to aspects contained in the Effectiveness of the Jakarta Siaga Emergency Service Program 112. The research method was carried out with a case study method with data collection techniques using interview methods and document review. Interviews were conducted on 10 (ten) key informants, document review focused on documents related to the Jakarta Emergency Alert Service 112 Effectiveness research in Fire Management. The results showed that the Effectiveness of Jakarta Siaga 112 Emergency Services in Fire Management by UPT. The Center for Disaster Data & Information BPBD DKI Jakarta Province Its effectiveness is still low, due to the Implementation of Emergency Services Jakarta Standby 112 in Fire Management implemented by UPT. Disaster Data & Information Center of BPBD DKI Jakarta Province in terms of the Target Group Understanding of the Program, the Achievement of the Program Objectives aspects, and the Program Follow-up aspects. It is recommended to continue to disseminate this Emergency Service to the public, it is necessary to increase the firm commitment of the Head of 8 SKPD related to fire management so that all units play a role in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Fire Management and the evaluation and follow-up of program services that are held periodically 3 once a month.Keywords: Effectiveness, Emergency Services, Fire Handling

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