Attitudes toward Delegation to Presidential Commissions
Research Question
Does the public prefer presidential action or delegation to commissions when it comes to addressing major policy issues?
Main Finding
There is no significant difference in public approval between direct presidential action and delegation to a commission. The public also sees no difference in the perceived effectiveness of policies formed through these two avenues.
Research Design
Four original survey experiments testing public reactions to different forms of presidential action across various issue areas.
Data Employed
Experimental data from four public opinion surveys fielded to test causal effects of institutional design on public approval.
Substantive Importance
Challenges the notion that presidential commissions are perceived as more credible or effective. Suggests that presidents can use commissions to appear active without suffering public backlash for inaction.
Research Areas
Presidential Power, Public Opinion, Survey Experiments, Institutional Design, Democratic Accountability
Citation
@article{commissions,
author = {Miller, David R. and Reeves, Andrew},
title = {Attitudes toward Delegation to Presidential Commissions},
journal = {Presidential Studies Quarterly},
volume = {47},
number = {3},
pages = {495--516},
year = {2017},
}