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Federal employee unionization and presidential control of the bureaucracy: Estimating and explaining ideological change in executive agencies

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  • Jowei Chen

    (Department of Political Science, University of Michigan, USA)

  • Tim Johnson

    (Atkinson Graduate School of Management, Willamette University, USA)

Abstract

We present a formal model explaining that US presidents strategically unionize federal employees to reduce bureaucratic turnover and ‘anchor’ the ideological composition of like-minded agency workforces. To test our model’s predictions, we advance a method of estimating bureaucratic ideology via the campaign contributions of federal employees; we then use these bureaucratic ideal point estimates in a comprehensive empirical test of our model. Consistent with our model’s predictions, our empirical tests find that federal employee unionization stifles agency turnover, suppresses ideological volatility when the president’s partisanship changes, and occurs more frequently in agencies ideologically proximate to the president.

Suggested Citation

  • Jowei Chen & Tim Johnson, 2015. "Federal employee unionization and presidential control of the bureaucracy: Estimating and explaining ideological change in executive agencies," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 27(1), pages 151-174, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jothpo:v:27:y:2015:i:1:p:151-174
    DOI: 10.1177/0951629813518126
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexander Bolton & John M. de Figueiredo & David E. Lewis, 2016. "Elections, Ideology, and Turnover in the U.S. Federal Government," NBER Working Papers 22932, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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