SC Connecticut News

The country may appear as divided as ever on who should win November’s presidential election, but most people can agree that the results will hold vast consequences for the future of governance. Quite simply, the leader of the executive branch exercises tremendous influence on all three branches of government.

At the Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS), rigorous social science techniques are employed to shed light on government practice. Earlier this month, ISPS faculty fellow Christina Kinane, assistant professor of political science, and Alexander W. Hertel-Fernandez, associate professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, organized an interdisciplinary workshop to explore the latest research on executive action.

“Alex and I wanted to convene political scientists, law professors, and people serving in government to share what they are researching or experiencing about policy design and implementation in the executive branch,” Kinane said. “The goal was to create a forum for discussion of new work from scholars in related but often separate research fields, discover how we can learn from each other, and build connections that might not have happened otherwise but will hopefully persist.”

The discussion touched on how the executive branch implements legislation that might be under threat from judicial review; how the White House interacts and coordinates with federal agencies; regulatory development and review; and how presidents attempt to maintain control through executive action, appointments, and budgeting.

“We really want to understand how these processes are established and governed—who’s involved, who tries to exert influence, how they try—and what the implications are for theories of presidential control and responsiveness,” Hertel-Fernandez said. “I think it’s especially important to have that experience from folks who have been in government who are able to shed light on some of these below-the-radar processes that nevertheless structure the rhythm of life for a lot of career and politically appointed officials.”

Attendees included Douglas Kriner from Cornell University; Brian Libgober from Northwestern University; Zachary Liscow from Yale; Gillian Metzger from Columbia Law School; Jennifer Nou from the University of Chicago; Nicholas Parrillo from Yale; Eloise Pasachoff from Georgetown Law; Rachel Augustine Potter from the University of Virginia; Cristina Rodríguez from Yale; Jon Rogowski from the University of Chicago; Margo Schlanger from the University of Michigan; and Ian Turner from ISPS.

“It’s really generative to have people who are working on complex bureaucracy questions so you can talk to each other about all of the different approaches,” Schlanger said. “I’m finding that super interesting and useful.”

Schlanger has served three stints in federal government roles. “In government, I have often worked to find effective paths toward policy goals set by Congress and agency leadership,” she said. “So I’ve both learned from and contributed to academic research in this area. It’s great to have interdisciplinary gatherings like this.”

Pasachoff serves as a member of the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS). “It is just so great to have an opportunity for political scientists and law professors to come together,” she said. “We work in overlapping areas but don’t always have a chance for this kind of cross-fertilization on shared interests.”

Kinane mentioned plans for a larger conference next spring with Nick Parrillo: “We hope to bridge work on administrative state issues in law and political science that often operates on parallel tracks without engaging one another,” she said. "This will be particularly important as we see potential new political realities challenge our administrative state."