Niyatee Jain
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Devin Judge-Lord
Research Mentor School/College/Department: / Public Policy
Program:
Authors: Niyatee Jain, Devin Judge-Lord
Session: Session 5: 2:40 pm – 3:30 pm
Poster: 20
Abstract
Though the United States federal government may have an obligation to create laws for the betterment of its citizens, lobbying can sway the final result, leading to certain biases. This study investigates how public comments on proposed federal agency rules – from groups of individuals, non-governmental organizations, and even certain elected officials – affect the final rules. This is done by identifying the demands of certain commenters and checking to see if the agency implemented or did not implement the requested change. Particularly, this research will examine rulemaking in the Department of Health and Human Services and identify if certain groups have a higher success rate of getting their agenda into policy compared to others. By using a standard coding method, which involves pinpointing the main asks of each group and determining whether the group was successful, we can construct patterns about the federal government’s tendencies regarding which kinds of groups have more power to influence lawmaking. Because the study is still in its early stages, precise conclusions cannot be made. However, some findings include that rulemaking tends to favor businesses and large coalitions. This study is significant because it gives the public a better understanding of how federal lawmaking works and which types of groups government agencies are more likely to listen to.
