Bureaucratic Politics and Regulatory Reform: The EPA and Emissions Trading

Based on interviews with key EPA decision makers and an analysis of the public record, this informative case study demonstrates how the contemporary movement for regulatory reform has actually affected the internal organizational politics of a highly visible administrative agency. The volume offers an in-depth look at how a specific agency effort at regulatory reform can be drastically influenced by the machinations of bureaucratic politics. Evidence is offered to support Cook's claim, in contrast to conventional views, that senior political and career leadership has considerable influence over the policy direction of an administrative agency.