Establishment of independent ethics committees

Question 1

Factors

Answer 1

party competition, ideological/political culture, policy diffusion, scandal/corruption, economic self-interest, direct democracy, policy legacies, actions by other states, governors’ powers, history of corruption, state wealth, bureaucratic history, legislative-executive relationships

Question 2

State Wealth

Answer 2

wealthier states are more likely to authorize independent ethics commissions bc they can afford it

Question 3

Bureaucratic history

Answer 3

a lack of bureaucratic development can hinder institutional formation later on, bc of the bureaucratic start-up costs and lack of institutional advocacy

Question 4

Legislative-executive relationships

Answer 4

in states where governors have greater formal powers, legislators will be wary of enacting policies that would further increase the power imbalance between the two branches and thus are less likely to appoint an independent ethics commission bc governors typically have some appointment control over them

Question 5

to be a strong independent ethics commission, commissions need full access to powers to…

Answer 5

1) conduct hearings,
2) subpoena witnesses and documents,
3) levy fines,
4) request prosecution, and
5) file court actions independently

Question 6

Commissions are “toothless tigers” bc…

Answer 6

1) principle-agent problem,
2) appointments and budgetary control by legislatures,
3) formal tools that are given or denied to them
4) Lawmakers have exercised various means of control and deck stacking,
— using their budgetary power,
— appointment authority,
— legal challenges, and
— amending legislation that circumscribes the authority of these commissions beyond the initial limits placed on their operation