Politics and Rulemaking at the Copyright Office

Studies of rulemaking often conclude that members of the public participate infrequently, while businesses participate actively and are more likely to influence final rules. I analyze a series of five Copyright Office rulemakings spanning the years 2000–2012. In contrast to the existing literature, I find high levels of public participation and a lack of influence by businesses. Instead, legal representation is the key predictor of influence over final rules. I also argue that the existing literature has wrongly theorized about how to measure public participation in rulemaking, thereby mischaracterizing the rulemaking process as undemocratic

Business · Economics · Law and economics · Political science · Politics · Process (computing · Public office · Public relations · Representation (politics · Rulemaking · Computer Science · Corruption and Economic Development · Law · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies · Public Administration · Regulation and Compliance Studies

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