Doctoral Dissertation Research: Litigation and the Electoral Connection-An Analysis of State Attorneys General and Modern Business Regulation

对政策企业家的研究已成为一个蓬勃发展的领域，但其实际应用却有限。在这个博士论文研究项目中，学生以企业家的身份分析了一位被忽视的政策制定者——州检察长。由于他们的动机是连任和追求更高的职位，司法部长们对发现市场失灵、惩罚企业和在消费者/选民中获得选举分数的机会保持警惕。该学生认为，每个州的司法部长都有成为企业家的潜力，但各种因素或阻碍或帮助他们实现这一潜力。在第一个研究中，学生分析了州检察长参与多州消费者保护诉讼的条件，认为活动的增加导致了创业行为。他假设各种意识形态、制度和环境变量促进了创业行为。初步调查结果显示，自由派选民和检察总长办公室法律人员的增加导致检察总长扮演企业家的角色。在第二项研究中，学生的目标是支持第一项研究的假设，通过证明在消费者监管执法方面有良好记录的总检察长更有可能竞选并赢得州长或参议院席位。

Research on policy entrepreneurs has grown into a thriving field, but its practical applications have been limited. In this Doctoral Dissertation Research Project the student analyzes a much-overlooked policy maker-the state attorney general-as an entrepreneur. Because they are motivated by reelection and the pursuit of higher office, attorneys general are alert to opportunities to spot market failures, punish businesses and score electoral points with consumer/voters. The student posits that every state attorney general has the potential to be an entrepreneur, but various factors either hinder or help them in realizing this potential. In the first study, the student analyzes the conditions under which state attorneys general join multi-state consumer protection lawsuits, arguing that increased activity results in entrepreneurial behavior. He hypothesizes that a variety of ideological, institutional and environmental variables facilitate entrepreneurial behavior. Preliminary findings show that a liberal electorate and increased legal personnel within the attorney general office result in attorneys general acting as entrepreneurs. In the second study, the student aim to upholds the assumptions of the first study, by showing that attorneys general with strong records of consumer regulation enforcement are more likely to run for and win governorships or Senate seats.