论文信息 - THE POLITICS OF AIR BAG SAFETY: A COMPETITION AMONG PROBLEM DEFINITIONS

THE POLITICS OF AIR BAG SAFETY: A COMPETITION AMONG PROBLEM DEFINITIONS

In view of 121 deaths attributed to air bag deployments, mainly to children and adults of small stature, recent policy debate has focused on modifying current U.S. federal automotive air bag regulations. In this article, a problem definition perspective is used to help understand the nature of this debate. Utilizing a content analysis of the official record of 1 House and 2 Senate hearings, it is argued that 4 problem definitions characterize the debate over air bag safety: behavioral, regulatory, technological, and corporate greed. Furthermore, it is also argued that a problem definition perspective offers a better explanation of recent changes to federal air bag regulations than do pluralist, elitist, or principal-agent models.

Lilliard E. Richardson | David J. Houston | D. J. Houston | L. Richardson | D. Houston

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