Zayn Merrick
Research Mentor(s): Devin Judge-Lord
Mentor Department:
Authors: Zayn Merrick, Devin Judge-Lord
Session: Session 3 (11:00am – 11:50am)
Presentation Type: Poster 105
Abstract
Agency Rulemaking is the primary way the federal government makes policy today. Most law now comes from the executive branch of the federal government, far more than from Congress. The Supreme Court engages in a judicial review process that plays a key role in determining if executive branch rules are properly created and enforced. Understanding why the Supreme Court upholds or strikes down different agency rules can help provide crucial insights into which rules are allowed to stand and which are not. To do this, we analyze each Supreme Court case pertaining to federal agencies and federal rulemaking. We have over 75 unique columns on a spreadsheet, each representing a separate variable that will be coded based on the Supreme Court opinion and further research on the case. By analyzing the details of the rule and the language and terminology the Supreme Court uses in their decision making, we can gain insights into how the Supreme Court treats certain rules given different factors about that rule, including various factors of the policy process that led to the rule’s creation. As a result of my research, I have a deep knowledge of the proceedings of multiple cases to compare against each other. In these cases, the Supreme Court has treated rules differently, and by analyzing the details of the rule and the language of the Court, we can gain insight into the process of judicial review of federal rules. By analyzing the different aspects of federal rules and how the Supreme Court treats them, we can start to learn what factors make a federal rule, or action, be upheld or struck down.
