Policymaking with Multiple Agencies

• In Event: Models of Bureaucracy

Abstract

Policymaking and implementation in the United States is fragmented across many actors. Even when issues are related, jurisdiction over these issues may be held by different agencies. Furthermore, depending on the institutional structure, agencies may interact with one another when formulating policies. I develop a formal model of bureaucratic policymaking in which separate agencies have authority over separate but overlapping policy areas. The model yields insights into the behavior of agencies under different institutional arrangements and their incentives to create well-informed policies. While fragmented policymaking may occur due to happenstance, in other instances, when passing new legislation Congress intentionally delegates authority to different actors. In light of this, I extend the model to study the optimal design of interactions between agencies for Congress to best achieve its own preferred outcomes.

Author

• Peter Bils