Colin Provost
Biographic Data
| ID | 3893671 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Colin Provost |
| GIVEN NAMES | Colin |
| FAMILY NAME | Provost |
| SIGNATURE | PROVOST C |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College London |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 15 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 269 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 15 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2002 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
State Attorneys General, Revolving Doors and the Market for Regulatory Compliance
Revolving door research on government lawyers moving into the private sector shows multiple potential outcomes. Such lawyers may utilize connections in government to secure special favors for their new clients, in a manner consistent with regulatory capture (the Quid Pro Quo Hypothesis). Conversely, they may utilize their knowledge and expertise to improve the regulatory compliance of their clients (the Regulatory Schooling Hypothesis). I examine…
Monitoring Corporate Compliance through Cooperative Federalism: Trends in Multistate Settlements by State Attorneys General
Recent scholarship on U.S. regulatory federalism has tended to focus on conflict between the states and state resistance to federal initiatives. Less attention has been given to federal–state cooperation and how it affects regulatory enforcement. In this article, we examine intergovernmental cooperation in multistate lawsuits filed by state attorneys general to ascertain trends in multistate regulatory enforcement through litigation over time. We…
Political control and policy-making uncertainty in executive orders: The implementation of environmental justice policy
Environmental justice (EJ) has represented an important equity challenge in policymaking for decades. President Clinton’s executive order (EO) 12898 in 1994 represented a significant federal action, requiring agencies to account for EJ issues in new rulemakings. We examine the impact of EO 12898 within the larger question of how EO are implemented in complex policymaking. We argue that presidential preferences will affect bureaucratic responsiven…
Government Promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from the EU Eco‐Management and Audit Scheme
Governments play an active role in promoting corporate social responsibility and specifically environmental management system (EMS) programs, but few studies have examined the impact of such support on the decision of businesses to adopt EMS programs. We ask two questions in this paper: how does government support for EMS programs affect adoption of such programs? Second, what effect does this government support have on the pace of adoption of su…
Change and Continuity in the Role of State Attorneys General in the Obama and Trump Administrations
During the Trump Administration, state attorneys general (AGs) have become entrenched as integral policymaking actors in the United States. Their expanding policymaking role fits broader patterns of polarized politics, as partisan coalitions of AGs are increasingly willing to sue the federal government, a trend that gathered steam in the Obama Administration and has reached a crescendo in Trump's first year. However, state AGs do cooperate, parti…
Representing the States Before the U.S. Supreme Court: State Amicus Brief Participation, the Policy-making Environment, and the Fourth Amendment
State attorneys general, situated at the intersection of the state and federal governments, are increasingly the subject of scholarly inquiry. Yet, little work examines what prompts them to participate as amici. The decision to participate as amici reveals important information about how state actors attempt to shape outcomes at the federal level. We investigate how the broader policy-making environment facilitates and constrains AG amicus brief …
Ingredients of institutional reputations and citizen engagement with regulators
The purpose of this study is to examine the link between the reputational components of efficacy and moral reliability of institutions, and citizens' compliance with institutional recommendations. Research on bureaucratic reputations highlights the significance of positive political reputations based on credibility and legitimacy, but the impact of these components is not systematically isolated and studied. We draw insights from political psycho…
Antitrust Law and Distributive Politics in the American States
State enforcement by state attorneys general (AGs) has become a major component of American antitrust law. Much has been written about state antitrust enforcement, but existing accounts of AG incentives and behavior are incomplete. As elected officials in forty‐three states, AGs must represent their constituents and, therefore, will be drawn to cases that maximize the level of settlement reward—cases with large, wealthy defendants. I hypothesize …
Ideas and Coordination in Policymaking: The Financial Crisis of 2007–2009
Policy change occurs because coalitions of actors are able to take advantage of political conditions to translate their strong beliefs about policy into ideas, which are turned into policy. A coalition's ability to define a problem helps to keep policies in place, but it can also cause coalitions to develop blind spots. For example, policy subsystem actors will often neglect the need for coordination between governmental actors. We examine the fi…
When to Befriend the Court? Examining State Amici Curiae Participation Before the U.S. Supreme Court
Over the past 30 years, the U.S. states have increased their participation as amici curiae significantly, in addition to winning more of their cases as direct parties. However, little attention has been paid to the factors that cause amici participation rates to vary among the states. The author examines the decision of state attorneys general (AGs) to initiate or join amicus curiae briefs in all 253 U.S. Supreme Court criminal procedure cases fr…
An Integrated Model of U.S. State Attorney General Behavior in Multi-State Litigation
Multi-state lawsuits, filed by U.S. state attorneys general (AGs), have become an important method by which state consumer protection laws are enforced. Patterns of participation in these lawsuits vary tremendously across the states, yet little is known about the factors driving this variation. I argue that state AGs are primarily concerned with achieving electoral and policymaking goals. Consequently, I expect AGs to be responsive to strong cons…
When is AG Short for Aspiring Governor? Ambition and Policy Making Dynamics in the Office of State Attorney General
Anecdotes have emerged in the media about why state attorneys general run for higher office, but there have been no empirical examinations of why some attorney generals (AGs) run for higher office and others do not. I seek to answer two questions: first, what shapes political ambition among state AGs? Second, how do styles of policy making affect the likelihood of AGs running for higher office? I examine Rohde's assumption that all politicians ha…
The Politics of Consumer Protection: Explaining State Attorney General Participation in Multi-State Lawsuits
In the past 20 years, state attorneys general have reinvented the enforcement of consumer protection regulations. Prosecuting businesses through multi-state lawsuits has the effect of enforcing consumer protection laws at the national level. The participation of states in these lawsuits varies quite dramatically across states, yet little research has been done to explain these differences in consumer protection enforcement. Because state attorney…
State Attorneys General, Entrepreneurship, and Consumer Protection in the New Federalism
Although many scholars have acknowledged the important role of states in regulatory enforcement, few have studied the decisions of the state attorneys general to pursue particular multi-state litigation actions. State attorneys general act as political entrepreneurs because they aggressively seek out market failures in society to justify stronger regulation. Their motivation to serve the public comes from the fact that they are elected in 43 stat…
The Consequences of Terrorism: Disentangling the Effects of Personal and National Threat
The events of 11 September 2001 have led to a higher perceived risk of terrorism in the United States. A better understanding of the political consequences of 9/11 requires a more complete accounting of the nature and consequences of perceived threat. Here, the distinction between perceived personal and national risks is examined in terms of two competing hypotheses: (1) The personal threat of terrorism has a pervasive influence even on national …
The Consequences of Terrorism: Disentangling the Effects of Personal and National Threat
The events of 11 September 2001 have led to a higher perceived risk of terrorism in the United States. A better understanding of the political consequences of 9/11 requires a more complete accounting of the nature and consequences of perceived threat. Here, the distinction between perceived personal and national risks is examined in terms of two competing hypotheses: (1) The personal threat of terrorism has a pervasive influence even on national …
Ingredients of institutional reputations and citizen engagement with regulators
The purpose of this study is to examine the link between the reputational components of efficacy and moral reliability of institutions, and citizens' compliance with institutional recommendations. Research on bureaucratic reputations highlights the significance of positive political reputations based on credibility and legitimacy, but the impact of these components is not systematically isolated and studied. We draw insights from political psycho…
State Attorneys General, Entrepreneurship, and Consumer Protection in the New Federalism
Although many scholars have acknowledged the important role of states in regulatory enforcement, few have studied the decisions of the state attorneys general to pursue particular multi-state litigation actions. State attorneys general act as political entrepreneurs because they aggressively seek out market failures in society to justify stronger regulation. Their motivation to serve the public comes from the fact that they are elected in 43 stat…
Ideas and Coordination in Policymaking: The Financial Crisis of 2007–2009
Policy change occurs because coalitions of actors are able to take advantage of political conditions to translate their strong beliefs about policy into ideas, which are turned into policy. A coalition's ability to define a problem helps to keep policies in place, but it can also cause coalitions to develop blind spots. For example, policy subsystem actors will often neglect the need for coordination between governmental actors. We examine the fi…
Change and Continuity in the Role of State Attorneys General in the Obama and Trump Administrations
During the Trump Administration, state attorneys general (AGs) have become entrenched as integral policymaking actors in the United States. Their expanding policymaking role fits broader patterns of polarized politics, as partisan coalitions of AGs are increasingly willing to sue the federal government, a trend that gathered steam in the Obama Administration and has reached a crescendo in Trump's first year. However, state AGs do cooperate, parti…
An Integrated Model of U.S. State Attorney General Behavior in Multi-State Litigation
Multi-state lawsuits, filed by U.S. state attorneys general (AGs), have become an important method by which state consumer protection laws are enforced. Patterns of participation in these lawsuits vary tremendously across the states, yet little is known about the factors driving this variation. I argue that state AGs are primarily concerned with achieving electoral and policymaking goals. Consequently, I expect AGs to be responsive to strong cons…
When to Befriend the Court? Examining State Amici Curiae Participation Before the U.S. Supreme Court
Over the past 30 years, the U.S. states have increased their participation as amici curiae significantly, in addition to winning more of their cases as direct parties. However, little attention has been paid to the factors that cause amici participation rates to vary among the states. The author examines the decision of state attorneys general (AGs) to initiate or join amicus curiae briefs in all 253 U.S. Supreme Court criminal procedure cases fr…
The Politics of Consumer Protection: Explaining State Attorney General Participation in Multi-State Lawsuits
In the past 20 years, state attorneys general have reinvented the enforcement of consumer protection regulations. Prosecuting businesses through multi-state lawsuits has the effect of enforcing consumer protection laws at the national level. The participation of states in these lawsuits varies quite dramatically across states, yet little research has been done to explain these differences in consumer protection enforcement. Because state attorney…
When is AG Short for Aspiring Governor? Ambition and Policy Making Dynamics in the Office of State Attorney General
Anecdotes have emerged in the media about why state attorneys general run for higher office, but there have been no empirical examinations of why some attorney generals (AGs) run for higher office and others do not. I seek to answer two questions: first, what shapes political ambition among state AGs? Second, how do styles of policy making affect the likelihood of AGs running for higher office? I examine Rohde's assumption that all politicians ha…
Government Promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from the EU Eco‐Management and Audit Scheme
Governments play an active role in promoting corporate social responsibility and specifically environmental management system (EMS) programs, but few studies have examined the impact of such support on the decision of businesses to adopt EMS programs. We ask two questions in this paper: how does government support for EMS programs affect adoption of such programs? Second, what effect does this government support have on the pace of adoption of su…
Antitrust Law and Distributive Politics in the American States
State enforcement by state attorneys general (AGs) has become a major component of American antitrust law. Much has been written about state antitrust enforcement, but existing accounts of AG incentives and behavior are incomplete. As elected officials in forty‐three states, AGs must represent their constituents and, therefore, will be drawn to cases that maximize the level of settlement reward—cases with large, wealthy defendants. I hypothesize …
Representing the States Before the U.S. Supreme Court: State Amicus Brief Participation, the Policy-making Environment, and the Fourth Amendment
State attorneys general, situated at the intersection of the state and federal governments, are increasingly the subject of scholarly inquiry. Yet, little work examines what prompts them to participate as amici. The decision to participate as amici reveals important information about how state actors attempt to shape outcomes at the federal level. We investigate how the broader policy-making environment facilitates and constrains AG amicus brief …
The Consequences of Terrorism: Disentangling the Effects of Personal and National Threat
The events of 11 September 2001 have led to a higher perceived risk of terrorism in the United States. A better understanding of the political consequences of 9/11 requires a more complete accounting of the nature and consequences of perceived threat. Here, the distinction between perceived personal and national risks is examined in terms of two competing hypotheses: (1) The personal threat of terrorism has a pervasive influence even on national …
State Attorneys General, Entrepreneurship, and Consumer Protection in the New Federalism
Although many scholars have acknowledged the important role of states in regulatory enforcement, few have studied the decisions of the state attorneys general to pursue particular multi-state litigation actions. State attorneys general act as political entrepreneurs because they aggressively seek out market failures in society to justify stronger regulation. Their motivation to serve the public comes from the fact that they are elected in 43 stat…
The Politics of Consumer Protection: Explaining State Attorney General Participation in Multi-State Lawsuits
In the past 20 years, state attorneys general have reinvented the enforcement of consumer protection regulations. Prosecuting businesses through multi-state lawsuits has the effect of enforcing consumer protection laws at the national level. The participation of states in these lawsuits varies quite dramatically across states, yet little research has been done to explain these differences in consumer protection enforcement. Because state attorney…
An Integrated Model of U.S. State Attorney General Behavior in Multi-State Litigation
Multi-state lawsuits, filed by U.S. state attorneys general (AGs), have become an important method by which state consumer protection laws are enforced. Patterns of participation in these lawsuits vary tremendously across the states, yet little is known about the factors driving this variation. I argue that state AGs are primarily concerned with achieving electoral and policymaking goals. Consequently, I expect AGs to be responsive to strong cons…
When is AG Short for Aspiring Governor? Ambition and Policy Making Dynamics in the Office of State Attorney General
Anecdotes have emerged in the media about why state attorneys general run for higher office, but there have been no empirical examinations of why some attorney generals (AGs) run for higher office and others do not. I seek to answer two questions: first, what shapes political ambition among state AGs? Second, how do styles of policy making affect the likelihood of AGs running for higher office? I examine Rohde's assumption that all politicians ha…
When to Befriend the Court? Examining State Amici Curiae Participation Before the U.S. Supreme Court
Over the past 30 years, the U.S. states have increased their participation as amici curiae significantly, in addition to winning more of their cases as direct parties. However, little attention has been paid to the factors that cause amici participation rates to vary among the states. The author examines the decision of state attorneys general (AGs) to initiate or join amicus curiae briefs in all 253 U.S. Supreme Court criminal procedure cases fr…
Ideas and Coordination in Policymaking: The Financial Crisis of 2007–2009
Policy change occurs because coalitions of actors are able to take advantage of political conditions to translate their strong beliefs about policy into ideas, which are turned into policy. A coalition's ability to define a problem helps to keep policies in place, but it can also cause coalitions to develop blind spots. For example, policy subsystem actors will often neglect the need for coordination between governmental actors. We examine the fi…
Antitrust Law and Distributive Politics in the American States
State enforcement by state attorneys general (AGs) has become a major component of American antitrust law. Much has been written about state antitrust enforcement, but existing accounts of AG incentives and behavior are incomplete. As elected officials in forty‐three states, AGs must represent their constituents and, therefore, will be drawn to cases that maximize the level of settlement reward—cases with large, wealthy defendants. I hypothesize …
Representing the States Before the U.S. Supreme Court: State Amicus Brief Participation, the Policy-making Environment, and the Fourth Amendment
State attorneys general, situated at the intersection of the state and federal governments, are increasingly the subject of scholarly inquiry. Yet, little work examines what prompts them to participate as amici. The decision to participate as amici reveals important information about how state actors attempt to shape outcomes at the federal level. We investigate how the broader policy-making environment facilitates and constrains AG amicus brief …
Ingredients of institutional reputations and citizen engagement with regulators
The purpose of this study is to examine the link between the reputational components of efficacy and moral reliability of institutions, and citizens' compliance with institutional recommendations. Research on bureaucratic reputations highlights the significance of positive political reputations based on credibility and legitimacy, but the impact of these components is not systematically isolated and studied. We draw insights from political psycho…
Government Promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from the EU Eco‐Management and Audit Scheme
Governments play an active role in promoting corporate social responsibility and specifically environmental management system (EMS) programs, but few studies have examined the impact of such support on the decision of businesses to adopt EMS programs. We ask two questions in this paper: how does government support for EMS programs affect adoption of such programs? Second, what effect does this government support have on the pace of adoption of su…
Change and Continuity in the Role of State Attorneys General in the Obama and Trump Administrations
During the Trump Administration, state attorneys general (AGs) have become entrenched as integral policymaking actors in the United States. Their expanding policymaking role fits broader patterns of polarized politics, as partisan coalitions of AGs are increasingly willing to sue the federal government, a trend that gathered steam in the Obama Administration and has reached a crescendo in Trump's first year. However, state AGs do cooperate, parti…
Political control and policy-making uncertainty in executive orders: The implementation of environmental justice policy
Environmental justice (EJ) has represented an important equity challenge in policymaking for decades. President Clinton’s executive order (EO) 12898 in 1994 represented a significant federal action, requiring agencies to account for EJ issues in new rulemakings. We examine the impact of EO 12898 within the larger question of how EO are implemented in complex policymaking. We argue that presidential preferences will affect bureaucratic responsiven…
Monitoring Corporate Compliance through Cooperative Federalism: Trends in Multistate Settlements by State Attorneys General
Recent scholarship on U.S. regulatory federalism has tended to focus on conflict between the states and state resistance to federal initiatives. Less attention has been given to federal–state cooperation and how it affects regulatory enforcement. In this article, we examine intergovernmental cooperation in multistate lawsuits filed by state attorneys general to ascertain trends in multistate regulatory enforcement through litigation over time. We…
State Attorneys General, Revolving Doors and the Market for Regulatory Compliance
Revolving door research on government lawyers moving into the private sector shows multiple potential outcomes. Such lawyers may utilize connections in government to secure special favors for their new clients, in a manner consistent with regulatory capture (the Quid Pro Quo Hypothesis). Conversely, they may utilize their knowledge and expertise to improve the regulatory compliance of their clients (the Regulatory Schooling Hypothesis). I examine…
Political science (14 works) · Law (11 works) · Law (11 works) · Politics (10 works) · Economics (9 works) · Business (7 works) · Regulation and Compliance Studies (7 works) · State (computer science (7 works) · Judicial and Constitutional Studies (6 works) · Law, Economics, and Judicial Systems (6 works)