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Volden. 2002. A formal model of the politics of delegation in a separation of powers system. AJPS 46 (1):111-133.
Studies have come to mixed results when studying whether legislators delegate more under unified or divided government. Intuitively, one would expect more delegation under unifed government (because preferences are aligned). However, Volden reminds us that executives will fight to retain previously delegated power once the government moves from unifed to divided control, especially if th executive's preferences align with the bureaucracy's. Thus, it isn't only preferences that matter: it's (X1) preferences in relation to the status quo and (X2) the possibility of an executive veto. Though Epstein and O'Halloran assert that including an executive veto would not change their comparative statics, Volden presents a model showing the reverse.
Research on similar subjects
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Political Science • Comparative Politics • Divided Government • Principal-Agent • Presidency (US) • Veto • Veto Players • Bargaining
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