Chapters 8 and 9

1
Chapters 8 and 9

• Policy making in the USA

2
The architecture of American Politics

• Presidential Democracy (as opposed to
  parliamentary democracy)
• Separation of Powers supported by a sophisticated
  system of checks and balances.
• Horizontally
• Vertically
• Judicial Common law system

3
Architecture of the system (cont.)

• Election system favors the development of 2
  umbrella political parties instead of multiple
  parties representing different positions of the
  ideological spectrum

4
Qualities of the system

• Decentralized but orderly providing a lot of
  space of hearing interest groups.
• Biased towards stability which can actually turn
  into gridlock
• Disconnection with politics clientelism lack
  of accountability towards voters
• Tendency to favor narrow interests because of
  their ability to influence the process.

5
Policy making in the United States (chapter 9)

• Policy-making systems make most public policy.
  
• Networks of small, stable groups of people who
  control the operating decisions of specific
  government agencies of specific programs. They
  are called systems because they are predictable
  and involve a high level of interaction and
  feedback
• The people
• Elected President, Congressmen, Senators
• Unelected Lobbyists, professional staff, and
  full time bureaucrats

6
Limited capabilities

• Difficulties making big changes
• Presidential Democracy -- decentralization
• Final decisions emerge from compromise, the
  result of pulling and pushing framed by public
  and private interests.
• Unintended consequences are the norm

7
How a bill becomes Law

• Bills are introduced by members of the
  legislature but many of them are actually
  initially drafted by executive branch officials.
• Subcommittee
• Decides whether to hold hearings on a bill that
  has been introduced.
• Sends mark up bills to Committee
• Committee
• Further discusses
• Approves bill which goes then to chamber

8
How a bill becomes Law (cont)

• Chambers
• Rules committee includes in Congress agenda
• Leadership informal discussions decides whether
  to include in Senates agenda.
• Amendments (more or less germane) deal
  brokering in the Senate maybe filibuster.

9
How a bill becomes Law (cont)

• When approved Bill is passed to the other
  chamber. Alternatively both chambers can be
  discussing it simultaneously.
• If the language of the bill differs largely
  leaders of the committees engage meet in
  conference to reconcile the language.
• Bill is sent to the White House of action.
• President signs within 10 days or it become law
  by default unless the session finishes before the
  10 days.
• President vetos the bill. The whole bill. Can
  only be overcome by a 2/3 majority vote in the
  chambers.

10
How a bill becomes Law (cont)

• The bill goes back to the chambers for
  Authorization and Appropriation.
• Most Bills are funded for 2 years
• Some Bills (social security, food stamps are
  entitlement programs they must receive funding

11
Post-legislative process

• A bureaucratic agency clarifies the law, making
  it workable by eliminating ambiguities and
  developing well-defined procedures for
  implementation.
• This process involves hearings followed by a
  discussion in the agencies.
• The result is the definition of its actual impact
  on business.
• It is written mostly by not elected officials
• There is space for more lobbying

12
Post-legislative process (cont.)

• The law is published in the Federal Register
• Many agencies rules are subject to constant
  review.
• Agencies have enforcement duties.
• They also have judicial ones. In fact parties
  who feel the bill just passed does not serve well
  their interest can use the regulars or
  administrative courts to challenge it.

13
Iron Triangle
American Dairy Assoc.
Campaign contributions
Support for ADA policy agenda
Price support for dairy products
Interchange of personnel
Information
Support of Dep. budget
Sen. House Agri. Committees
Dep. of Agriculture
Expert information, political support
14
Alternative paths

• Executive orders
• Direct ballots voted in states (e.g. California,
  Massachusetts)

15
Criticism of the regulatory process

• Undemocratic
• Failing to respond to majority demand
• Giving too much power to narrow interest groups
• Criticism to the moral and capacity of the
  bureaucracy

16
Types of policies and politics