Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Law
Publicity, Pressure, And Environmental Legislation: The Untold Story Of Availability Campaigns, Molly J. Walker Wilson
Publicity, Pressure, And Environmental Legislation: The Untold Story Of Availability Campaigns, Molly J. Walker Wilson
All Faculty Scholarship
The availability heuristic — a cognitive rule of thumb whereby events that are easily brought to mind are judged to be more likely — is employed by decision-makers on a daily basis. Availability campaigns occur when individuals and groups strategically exploit this cognitive tendency in order to generate publicity for a particular issue, creating pressure to effect legislative change. This paper is the first to argue that environmental availability campaigns are more beneficial than they are harmful. Because they result in pressure on Congress, these campaigns serve as a catalyst for the enactment of critical new legislative initiatives. Specifically, these …