| ID | 146817 |
| Title Proper | Legislative error and the “politics of haste” |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Lewallen, Jonathan x ; Lewallen, Jonathan |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) |
Legislative error is an important and understudied element of the policy process. Even simple clerical mistakes—if unnoticed before enactment—can lead to ambiguity about a law’s meaning, spark political battles concerning rulemaking and implementation, and involve the courts in statutory interpretation. Understanding how and why error occurs can help us better understand how political institutions are intertwined in the design, enactment, and implementation of public policy. This article analyzes the sources of legislative error using data on corrected legislation in the US Senate from 1981 to 2012. The author finds that Senate drafting error is related to unified control of Congress and new majority parties, inexperienced committee members, and committee workload. In addition to bringing in different perspectives and preferences, elections can affect a legislature’s ability to draft clear, error-free statutes. |
| `In' analytical Note | Political Science and Politics Vol. 49, No.2; Apr 2016: p.239-243 |
| Journal Source | Political Science and Politics 2016-06 49, 2 |
| Key Words | Policy Process ; Legislative Error ; Politics of Haste |