Rulemaking: How Government Agencies Write Law and Make Policy [Hardcover]

Cornelius M. Kerwin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 087187993X | ISBN-13: 978-0871879936 | Publication Date: January 1994

Rulemaking is the single most important function performed by government agencies. While Congress and the president provide the general framework for the governments mission, rulemaking fills in the details that define the law and delineate how each agency carries out its responsibilities. Cornelius Kerwin, and new co-author Scott Furlong, update this highly regarded text with new data, fresh analysis of interest groups participation in rulemaking, as well as coverage of the Obama administrations early actions, from executive orders and key personnel to agencies responses to changes. An invaluable and accessible guide to this intensely political process, Rulemaking contains the most current scholarship on a crucial yet understudied subject.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The strengths of Rulemaking are the comprehensive foundations and history of the rulemaking process, the engaging writing style, and the discussions of issues of management surrounding rulemaking. The authors give a balanced approach, and in fact, they do an excellent job of maintaining objectivity especially in discussions of congressional and presidential participation in rulemaking. In general, the book provides a good balance between description, example, and analysis in each chapter and it does a wonderful job of providing an overview of the impact of rulemaking on the policy process. --Kay Hofer, Texas State University at San Marcos

Rulemaking is the ideal single-source treatment of a complicated subject. Through readable prose and interesting examples, Kerwin and Furlong manage to highlight all of the relevant procedural and political facets of administrative lawmaking; they convey the nuances and practicalities of how rulemakers interact with their overseers in the political and judicial branches. Their discussion of overarching theory and current empirical research manages to be sophisticated without being stuffy. Whether used in its entirety as I have done for thousands of students in regulatory politics courses or more selectively, the professor can be sure that students will be well served! --Glenn Smith, University of California, San Diego

Rulemaking is the ideal single-source treatment of a complicated subject. Through readable prose and interesting examples, Kerwin and Furlong manage to highlight all of the relevant procedural and political facets of administrative lawmaking; they convey the nuances and practicalities of how rulemakers interact with their overseers in the political and judicial branches. Their discussion of overarching theory and current empirical research manages to be sophisticated without being stuffy. Whether used in its entirety as I have done for thousands of students in regulatory politics courses or more selectively, the professor can be sure that students will be well served! --Glenn Smith, University of California, San Diego --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Cornelius M. Kerwin is currently the president of American University and a professor of public adminstration in American University's School of Public Affairs. Dr. Kerwin served as the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) for the 1998-1999 term. Additionally, he worked as a consultant for several organizations, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Scott R. Furlong is professor of political science and public affairs at the University of WisconsinGreen Bay. His areas of expertise are regulatory policy and interest group participation in the executive branch. Furlong has published articles in a number of journals including Public Administration Review, The Journal of Public Administration, Research and Theory, Administrative Studies Quarterly and Policy Studies Journal. He has been teaching the public policy course for over twelve years.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 321 pages
• Publisher: Cq Pr (January 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087187993X
• ISBN-13: 978-0871879936
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,719,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars School required text for MPA, October 19, 2007

By 

Leslie Little "Student of Language studies" (Williamsburg, Va.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rulemaking: How Government Agencies Write Law and Make Policy, 3rd Edition (Rulemaking: How Government Agencies Write Law & Make Policy) (Paperback)

I am a graduate student at Jacksonville State in the MPA program and bought this text as part of the required reading for the one course I am taking. It is very helpful and easy to understand. I believe it will help with my further understanding of how government bureaucracies draft bills that can and do become law.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I finished with more questions than answers., February 24, 2003

By 

Kevin Currie-Knight "Education Grad Student" (Newark, Delaware) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rulemaking: How Government Agencies Write Law and Make Policy (Paperback)

I am on an endless quest, it seems; to find a book on the administrative state that is informative while being at least mildly enthusiastic about its subject. This book starts out enthusiastic. This book certainly started with enthusiasm. The first chapter, in fact, is devoted to convincing us why the administrative state is a superb American invention (a view I do not always share!) Chapter 5, which is devoted to public participation in the Admin. state also bubbles with giddiness.

Like a horse on crack-cocaine, though, this book stars with gallant speed, slows down fast and ends with an mild gasp. I'm sure this was not the authors intention. There are two main reasons. First, as the book is structured so that each chapter examines another area of admin. state rule making (oversight from the 3 branches, rulemaking structure, inherent paradoxes of the process) the first two chapters, which are almost overviews of the rest of the book, builds up high expectations. For example, when the first chapter lightly nibbles at rulemaking's structural issues, tow paragraphs in we are told that we will need to wait untill another chapter for a discussion. The author does this repeatedly throughout the book, thus leaving the reader in a constant hang.

The second reason for the flickering finish of the book is that, and unfortunately as with most admin. state books, not much save for completely varied anecdotal information is offered. How are rules written, the book asks; it depends on the administration, it answers. What about modes of public participation and debate? Depends on the rules of the comission. After a while, its almost pointless to read the next chapter as we begin to guess the answer to each question posed.

The reason, though, for the three stars is this: Chapter 1 (on justifications for the admin. state), Chapter 3(paradoxes inherent in the rulemaking process) and Chapter 7 (the role of theory in rulemaking and its reform) are actually decent and informative chapters. Vagueness aside, they do provide useful anecdotes. Also Chapters 3 and 7 present ideas, discussions and points that are all but ignored in other books on admin. state rulemaking. Buy the book, read those 3 chapters and maybe skim the rest.