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Comment Data From Ceri, 4-3-2017, Cornell Erulemaking Initiative
Comment Data From Ceri, 4-3-2017, Cornell Erulemaking Initiative
Cornell e-Rulemaking Initiative Publications
This file contains comment data from ten live policy discussions held on RegulationRoom.org and SmartParticipation.com from May 2010 to November 2016. A cross-disciplinary group of Cornell researchers, the Cornell eRulemaking Initiative (CeRI), created the experimental platforms for public participation in policymaking processes. CeRI used selected live federal agency rulemakings and other policy discussions to discover how the design and process of online engagement can support public discussion that is informed, inclusive and insightful.
The Problem With Words: Plain Language And Public Participation In Rulemaking, Cynthia R. Farina, Mary J. Newhart, Cheryl Blake
The Problem With Words: Plain Language And Public Participation In Rulemaking, Cynthia R. Farina, Mary J. Newhart, Cheryl Blake
Cornell Law Faculty Publications
This Article, part of the special issue commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Administrative Conference of the United States (“ACUS”), situates ACUS’s recommendations for improving public rulemaking participation in the context of the federal “plain language” movement. The connection between broader, better public participation and more comprehensible rulemaking materials seems obvious, and ACUS recommendations have recognized this connection for almost half a century. Remarkably, though, the series of presidential and statutory plain-language directives on this topic have not even mentioned the relationship of comprehensibility to participation until very recently. In 2012, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (“OIRA”) issued …
The Value Of Words: Narrative As Evidence In Policymaking, Dmitry Epstein, Josiah Heidt, Cynthia R. Farina
The Value Of Words: Narrative As Evidence In Policymaking, Dmitry Epstein, Josiah Heidt, Cynthia R. Farina
Cornell Law Faculty Publications
Policymakers today rely primarily on statistical, financial, and other forms of technical data as their basis for decision-making. Yet, there is a potentially underestimated value in substantive reflections of the members of the public who will be affected by a particular piece of regulation. We discuss the value of narratives as input in the policy making process, based on our experience with Regulation Room–a product of an interdisciplinary initiative using innovative web technologies in real-time online experimentation. We describe professional policymakers and professional commenters as a community of practice that has limited shared repertoire with the lay members of the …
Not By Technology Alone: The “Analog” Aspects Of Online Public Engagement In Policymaking, Dmitry Epstein, Mary J. Newhart, Rebecca Vernon
Not By Technology Alone: The “Analog” Aspects Of Online Public Engagement In Policymaking, Dmitry Epstein, Mary J. Newhart, Rebecca Vernon
Cornell e-Rulemaking Initiative Publications
Between Twitter revolutions and Facebook elections, there is a growing belief that information and communication technologies are changing the way democracy is practiced. The discourse around e-government and online deliberation is frequently focused on technical solutions and based in the belief that if you build it correctly they will come. This paper departs from the literature on digital divide to examine barriers to online civic participation in policy deliberation. While most scholarship focuses on identifying and describing those barriers, this study offers an in-depth analysis of what it takes to address them using a particular case study. Based in the …