National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Regulatory Notice and Comment Periods  (UNM LoboVault: http://hdl.handle.net/1928/21488 )

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Part 1: Document Description
Part 2: Study Description
Part 3: Data Files Description
Part 4: Variable Description
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Document Description

Citation

Title:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Regulatory Notice and Comment Periods

Identification Number:

http://hdl.handle.net/1928/21488

Authoring Entity:

Cavazos, David (University of New Mexico)

Other identifications and acknowledgements:

Cavazos, David

Producer:

Cavazos, David

Copyright:

Copyright 2012 David Cavazos

Study Description

Citation

Title:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Regulatory Notice and Comment Periods

Identification Number:

http://hdl.handle.net/1928/21488

Authoring Entity:

Cavazos, David (University of New Mexico)

Producer:

Cavazos, David

Funding Agency/Sponsor:

None

Distributor:

Cavazos, David

Version:

Final version with variable definitions.

Study Scope

Keywords:

issue salience , media , regulatory agencies , US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , Rulemaking , Regulatory Notice and Comment

Topic Classification:

Corporations Political Activity, Law and Legislation , Government Regulation

Abstract:

The data was collected with the intent of assessing agency and corporate behavior within the context of their interaction across multiple regulatory notice and comment periods. The additional influence of media coverage and its impact on agency and corporate interaction was also assessed. Whereas the regulatory notice and comment process has commonly been a focus of public administration research, this particular study is unique in accounting for media influence on the frequency of corporate or industry comments together with their ultimate impact on regulatory outcomes.

Methodology and Processing

Mode of Data Collection:

With regard to method, the bulk of the data were collected from the DMS, now available at www.regulations.gov, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) selected as the agency of study due to the high degree of commercial, private and public interest in the industry which it regulates. A total of 70 proposed rule changes were examined. Media influence was measured by counting the number of news articles relevant to the industry within a particular quarter. These articles were retrieved via keyword search from LexisNexis Academic (2005), with the count being additionally necessary as a control for salience, since regulatory agencies and the government in general are likely to pay more attention to highly salient issues. Statistical analysis of the compiled data was performed using SAS.

Sources Statement

File Description--F1

nhtsa_notice_comment_data_final.xlsx

  • Number of cases: 70

  • No. of variables per record: 23

  • Type of File: MS Excel 2007

Variable Description

List of Variables:

Variables

FMVSS

Location:

Width: 7

Variable Text: The Federal Motor Vehicel Safety Standard that is subject to the proposed rule change.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

101 .

1

102 .

2

103 .

1

104 .

1

105 .

3

105/135 .

1

106 .

1

107 .

1

108 .

4

111 .

1

117 .

1

118 .

2

120 .

1

121 .

3

122 .

1

124 .

1

139 .

1

201 .

3

202 .

3

204 .

1

205 .

2

206 .

2

208 .

8

209 .

1

210 .

2

211 .

1

213 .

1

216 .

1

221 .

1

223/224 .

1

301 .

2

302 .

1

303 .

2

305/214 .

1

537 .

1

538 .

1

544 .

1

572 .

1

574 .

1

FMVSS .

6

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: character

end date

Location:

Width: 10

Variable Text: Closing date of the comment period for the proposed rule change.

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: character

GDP Change per quarter

Variable Text: Quarterly change in the Gross Domestic Product.

Range of Valid Data Values: -0.51-1.77

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ; Min. -0.51 ; Max. 1.77 ; Mean 0.841 ; StDev 0.439

Variable Format: numeric

PACDC

Variable Text: Daimler Chrysler political action committee contributions during the comment period.

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-148300

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ; Min. 0 ; Max. 148300 ; Mean 35488.529 ; StDev 28462.744

Variable Format: numeric

PACGM

Variable Text: General Motors political action committee contributions during the comment period.

Range of Valid Data Values: 42-162406.2

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ; Min. 42 ; Max. 162406.2 ; Mean 34274.518 ; StDev 26320.193

Variable Format: numeric

All PAC

Variable Text: Total Auto Industry political action committee spending during the comment period.

Range of Valid Data Values: 42-310706.2

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ; Min. 42 ; Max. 310706.2 ; Mean 69763.046 ; StDev 45838.647

Variable Format: numeric

Comments

Variable Text: Count of comments made per rule by Auto Industry companies.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

5

1 .

2

2 .

2

3 .

1

4 .

1

7 .

1

8 .

2

9 .

2

10 .

3

11 .

1

12 .

2

13 .

1

14 .

1

15 .

1

17 .

2

18 .

1

20 .

1

21 .

3

22 .

1

25 .

1

26 .

1

28 .

2

34 .

3

45 .

2

48 .

1

50 .

1

59 .

1

61 .

1

62 .

1

63 .

1

64 .

1

73 .

1

85 .

1

95 .

1

96 .

2

108 .

1

120 .

1

126 .

1

127 .

1

132 .

2

160 .

1

168 .

1

269 .

1

529 .

1

707 .

1

748 .

1

752 .

1

1240 .

1

3052 .

1

5523 .

1

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-5523

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ; Min. 0 ; Max. 5523 ; Mean 219.457 ; StDev 763.169

Variable Format: numeric

AgencyActions

Variable Text: Count of agency ammendments and notices comment period.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

1 .

19

2 .

14

3 .

6

4 .

4

5 .

3

6 .

3

7 .

1

8 .

1

9 .

3

10 .

2

12 .

1

13 .

2

14 .

1

15 .

1

18 .

2

22 .

1

24 .

1

28 .

1

31 .

1

35 .

1

36 .

1

79 .

1

Range of Valid Data Values: 1-534

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ; Min. 1 ; Max. 79 ; Mean 7.629 ; StDev 12.024

Variable Format: numeric

Election Year?

Variable Text: Does the comment period occur during a presidential election year: 1 = yes, 0 = otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

44

1 .

26

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-1

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

Duration

Variable Text: Duration of comment period in days.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

2

1 .

1

45 .

2

46 .

1

48 .

1

54 .

1

55 .

1

59 .

1

62 .

1

63 .

2

68 .

1

74 .

1

86 .

1

88 .

1

97 .

1

98 .

1

105 .

1

113 .

1

160 .

1

193 .

1

214 .

1

222 .

1

228 .

1

262 .

1

275 .

1

297 .

1

328 .

1

363 .

1

515 .

1

543 .

1

555 .

1

572 .

1

596 .

1

609 .

1

652 .

1

759 .

1

766 .

1

860 .

1

896 .

1

1023 .

1

1072 .

1

1142 .

1

1201 .

1

1204 .

1

1233 .

1

1364 .

1

1461 .

1

1488 .

1

1533 .

1

1717 .

1

1733 .

1

1807 .

1

1809 .

1

1847 .

2

1940 .

1

2024 .

1

2078 .

1

2087 .

1

2241 .

1

2321 .

1

2403 .

1

2432 .

1

2499 .

1

2607 .

1

3646 .

1

5007 .

1

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-5007

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ; Min. 0 ; Max. 5007 ; Mean 941.443 ; StDev 1004.406

Variable Format: numeric

Final Rule

Variable Text: 1=comment period resulted in a final rule, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

38

1 .

32

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-1

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

Rule Change

Variable Text: 1=comment period resulted in change to the proposed rule, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

39

1 .

31

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-1

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

Rule as Proposed

Variable Text: 1=comment period resulted in no change to propsed rule, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

60

1 .

10

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-1

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

No Rule

Variable Text: 1=comment period resulted in no rule, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

41

1 .

29

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-1

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

FORDVS

Variable Text: Were opposing comments to the proposed rule made by Ford: 1=yes, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

40

1 .

30

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-30

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

DCVS

Variable Text: Were opposing comments to the proposed rule made by Daimler Chrysler: 1=yes, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

44

1 .

26

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-26

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

GMVS

Variable Text: Were opposing comments to the proposed rule made by General Motors: 1=yes, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

41

1 .

29

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-29

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

AAMAVS

Variable Text: Were opposing comments to the proposed rule made by the American Association of Auto Manufacturers: 1=yes, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

41

1 .

29

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-29

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

TOYVS

Variable Text: Were opposing comments to the proposed rule made by Toyota: 1=yes, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

53

1 .

17

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-17

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

HONVS

Variable Text: Were opposing comments to the proposed rule made by Honda: 1=yes, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

60

1 .

10

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-10

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

VOLKSVS

Variable Text: Were opposing comments to the proposed rule made by the Volkswagon: 1=yes, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

48

1 .

22

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-22

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

ADVVS

Variable Text: Were opposing comments to the proposed rule made by the Advocate for Vehicle Safety: 1=yes, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

53

1 .

17

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-17

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric

INSVS

Variable Text: Were opposing comments to the proposed rule made by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: 1=yes, 0=otherwise.

Value

Label

Frequency

Text

0 .

59

1 .

11

Range of Valid Data Values: 0-11

Summary Statistics: Valid 70 ;

Variable Format: numeric