Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T13:00:55.354Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Subverting Administrative Oversight: Campaign Contributions and Nursing Home Inspections

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Frederick J. Boehmke
Frederick J. Boehmke*
Affiliation:
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
*
Frederick J. Boehmke, Department of Political Science, University of Iowa, 341 Schaeffer Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. Email: frederick-boehmke@uiowa.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

I study the consequences of interest group campaign contributions for administrative oversight. Unlike the few previous studies in this area, however, I study the influence in state bureaucracies and at the level of individual groups. Specifically, I test whether campaign contributions to state elected officials influence the outcomes of annual inspections of skilled nursing facilities in 16 states, leveraging the context of state politics in two important ways. First, I consider the differing effects of contributions to the legislative and executive branches. Second, I argue that legislative capacity for oversight influences the efficacy of contributions Regression analysis of inspection results with controls for facility characteristics provides evidence that contributing facilities have better overall inspection results, with a large reduction in citations for severe problems. Furthermore, contributions to legislators reduce overall problems, particularly in less professionalized legislatures, while those to the governor reduce severe ones.

Keywords

interest groupsparties and interest groupslobbyingbureaucracyexecutive politicslegislative/executive interactionhealth policypublic policy
Type
Research Article
Information
State Politics & Policy Quarterly , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , December 2018 , pp. 441 - 466
Copyright
Copyright © 1969 by The Modern Language Association of America

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Austen-Smith, David, and Wright, John R.. 1994. “Counteractive Lobbying.” American Journal of Political Science 38:25–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barber, Michael. 2016. “Donation Motivations: Testing Theories of Access and Ideology.” Political Research Quarterly 69 (1): 148–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baumgartner, Frank R., and Leech, Beth L.. 1998. Basic Interest: The Importance of Groups in Politics and Political Science. Princeton: Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boehmke, Frederick J., Gailmard, Sean, and Patty, John Wiggs. 2006. “Whose Ear to Bend? Information Sources and Venue Choice in Policy-Making.” Quarterly Journal of Political Science 1 (2): 139–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boehmke, Frederick J., Gailmard, Sean, and Patty, John Wiggs. 2013. “Business as Usual: Interest Group Access and Representation across Policy-Making Venues.” Journal of Public Policy 33 (1): 3–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boehmke, Frederick J., and Shipan, Chuck. 2015. “Oversight Capabilities in the States: Are Professionalized Legislatures Better at Getting What They Want?” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 15 (3): 366–386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boushey, Graeme, and McGrath, Robert. 2017. “Experts, Amateurs, and Bureaucratic Influence in the American States.” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 27 (1): 85–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Figueiredo, Rui, and Edwards, Geoff. 2007. “Does Private Money Buy Public Policy? Campaign Contributions and Regulatory Outcomes in Telecommunications.” Journal of Economics & Management Strategy 16 (3): 547–576.Google Scholar
Furlong, Scott R., and Kerwin, Cornelius M.. 2005. “Interest Group Participation in Rulemaking: A Decade of Change.” Journal of Public Administration and Research 15:353–370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Godwin, Ken, Ainsworth, Scott, and Godwin, Erik K.. 2012. Lobbying and Policymaking: The Public Pursuit of Private Interests. Thousand Oaks: CQ Press.Google Scholar
Golden, Marissa Martino. 1998. “Interest Group Participation in Rule-Making: Who Participates? Whose Voices Get Heard?” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 8 (2): 245–270.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gordon, Sanford C., and Hafer, Catherine. 2005. “Flexing Muscle: Corporate Political Expenditures as Signals to the Bureaucracy.” American Political Science Review 99 (2): 245–261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grabowski, David C., and Castle, Nicholas G.. 2004. “Nursing Homes with Persistent High and Low Quality.” Medical Care Research and Review 61 (1): 89–115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grassley, Charles E. 2004. Charles Grassley to Mark McClellan. July 7, 2004.Google Scholar
Hall, Richard L., and Deardorff, Alan V.. 2006. “Lobbying as Legislative Subsidy.” American Political Science Review 100 (1): 69–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, Richard L., and Miler, Kris. 2008. “Interest Group Subsidies to Legislative Overseers.” The Journal of Politics 70 (4): 990–1005.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, Richard L., and Wayman, Frank W.. 1990. “Buying Time: Moneyed Interest and the Mobilization of Bias in Congressional Committees.” American Political Science Review 84 (3): 797–820.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harrington, Charlene, and Carrillo, Helen. 1999. “The Regulation and Enforcement of Federal Nursing Home Standards, 1991–1997.” Medical Care Research and Review 56 (4): 471–494.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harrington, Charlene, Mullan, Joseph T., and Carrillo, Helen. 2004. “State Nursing Home Enforcement Systems.” Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law 29 (1): 43–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harrington, Charlene, Schnelle, John F., McGregor, Margaret, and Simmons, Sandra F.. 2016. “Article Commentary: The Need for Higher Minimum Staffing Standards in U.S. Nursing Homes.” Health Services Insights 9:13–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harrington, Charlene, Zimmerman, David, Karon, Sarita L., Robinson, James, and Beutel, Patricia. 2000. “Nursing Home Staffing and Its Relationship to Deficiencies.” Journal of Gerontology 55B (5): S278–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillmer, Michael P., Wodchis, Walter P., Gill, Sudeep S., Anderson, Geoffrey M., and Rochon, Paula A.. 2005. “Nursing Home Profit Status and Quality of Care: Is There Any Evidence of an Association?” Medical Care Research and Review 62 (2): 139–166.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huber, John D., and Shipan, Charles. 2002. Deliberate Discretion? Institutional Foundations of Bureaucratic Autonomy. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, James D. 2000. “Changes in Professionalism in U.S. State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 25 (2): 327–343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kinney, Courtney. 2002. “Patton Defiant: I Won't Resign.” The Kentucky Post, October 5, p. K1.Google Scholar
Li, Yue, Harrington, Charlene, Spector, William D., and Mukamel, Dana B.. 2010. “State Regulatory Enforcement and Nursing Home Termination from the Medicare and Medicaid Programs.” Health Services Research 45 (6. Pt. 1): 1796–1814.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCubbins, Mathew D., Noll, Roger G., and Weingast, Barry R.. 1987. “Administrative Procedures as Instruments of Political Control.” Journal of Law, Economics, & Organization 3 (2): 243–277.Google Scholar
McCubbins, Matthew D., and Schwartz, Thomas. 1984. “Congressional Oversight Overlooked: Policy Patrols versus Fire Alarms.” American Journal of Political Science 28:167–179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moe, Terry M. 1989. “The Politics of Bureaucratic Structure.” In Can the Government Govern? eds. Chubb, John E., and Peterson, Paul E.. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution: 267–329.Google Scholar
Powell, Lynda W. 2012. The Influence of Campaign Contributions in State Legislatures: The Effects of Institutions and Politics. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shipan, Charles R. 2004. “Regulatory Regimes, Agency Actions, and the Conditional Nature of Political Influence.” American Political Science Review 93 (3): 467–480.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spector, William D., Selden, Thomas M., and Cohen, Joel W.. 1998. “The Impact of Ownership Type on Nursing Home Outcomes.” Health Economics 7:639–653.3.0.CO;2-0>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Squire, Peverill. 1992. “Legislative Professionalism and Membership Diversity in State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 17:69–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Squire, Peverill. 2007. “Measuring State Legislative Professionalism: The Squire Index Revisited.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 7 (2): 211–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2003. Nursing Home Deficiency Trends and Survey and Certification Process Consistency. Report number OEI-02-01-00600, accessed online at.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2005. Nursing Home Enforcement: The Use of Civil Money Penalties. Report number OEI-06-02-00720, access online at.Google Scholar
U.S. Government Accountability Office. 1998. California Nursing Homes: Federal and State Oversight Inadequate to Protect Residents in Homes with Serious Care Violations. GAO/THEHS-98-219.Google Scholar
U.S. Government Accountability Office. 1999. Nursing Home Care: Enhanced HCFA Oversight of State Programs Would Better Ensure Quality. GAO-HEHS-00-6, accessed online at.Google Scholar
U.S. Government Accountability Office. 2000. Nursing Homes: Sustained Efforts Are Essential to Realize Potential of the Quality Initiatives. GAO-HEHS-00-197, accessed online at.Google Scholar
U.S. Government Accountability Office. 2005. Despite Increased Oversight, Challenges Remain in Ensuring High-Quality Care and Resident Safety. GAO-06-117, accessed online at.Google Scholar
Walker, Jack L. Jr. 1991. Mobilizing Interest Groups in America: Patrons, Professionals and Social Movements. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walshe, Kieran, and Harrington, Charlene. 2002. “Regulation of Nursing Facilities in the United States: An Analysis of Resources and Performance of State Survey Agencies.” The Gerontologist 42 (4): 475–486.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wright, John R. 1990. “Contributions, Lobbying, and Committee Voting in the U.S. House of Representatives.” American Political Science Review 84 (2): 417–438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yackee, Jason, and Yackee, Susan Webb. 2006. “A Bias towards Business? Assessing Interest Group Influence on the U.S. Bureaucracy.” The Journal of Politics 61 (1): 128–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yackee, Susan Webb. 2012. “The Politics of Ex Parte Lobbying: Pre-proposal Agenda Building and Blocking during Agency Rulemaking.” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 22 (2): 373–393.CrossRefGoogle Scholar