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Closure and Capture in Federal Advisory Committees

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Kevin D. Karty*
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
*
Department of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room E53-470, Cambridge, MA 02139–4307, USA. Email: [email protected].

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between interest group membership, source of authorization, and meeting closure in federal advisory committees. Using observed correlations, it seeks to identify the ultimate source of “inappropriate influence” wielded in advisory committees. The worst offenders in recent years are those committees created jointly by Congress and agencies, and especially certain committees in USDA and DOC. However, these findings may be unique to the last six years, during which the number of closed meetings has tripled.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © V.K. Aggarwal 2002 and published under exclusive license to Cambridge University Press 

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