Capacity in the Time of Inconsistency

• In Event: Impact of Money in Politics on Political Elites and Institutions

Abstract

Understanding the impact of political instability on bureaucratic performance has been a central focus of research in the field of bureaucratic politics. Typically, both the President and Congress tend to adopt subtle rather than extreme reforms when dealing with bureaucracy. However, a notable exception arises in the case of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has experienced significant fluctuations in its discretionary budget and level of politicization. These fluctuations notably increased during the Obama administration and further intensified under the Trump administration. In this paper, we analyze the effects of rising political instability within the EPA using official-level data from the Fedscope database over the past two decades. Our findings confirm the anticipated outcome: senior EPA officials, particularly scientists, demonstrate a greater inclination to explore opportunities outside the agency when confronted with political instability. In addition, we find that replacements tend to have less experience and less education (or receive education from less prestigious institutions), suggesting a potential decline in staff quality during periods of instability.

Authors

• Fred Gui, Louisiana State University

• Lawrence S. Rothenberg, University of Rochester

• Junlong Aaron Zhou, New York University