Taking Action on Internet Gambling

Federal Policymaking 19952011

By (author) Russell K. Mayer

Publication date:

06 March 2014

Length of book:

174 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

Dimensions:

237x159mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9780739180655

This book uses the case of the rise and fall of the Internet gambling industry to illustrate a new approach to understanding how public policy is made in the United States. The theory advanced is that different phases of the policy process are governed by three distinct political dynamics: constraint, momentum, and discretion. The book maps this CMD model of the policy process onto the case of Internet gambling, examining the full range of political venues in which issues of public policy are acted upon. It argues that constraint rules the day in the early phases of the policy process, momentum builds in the middle, and discretion comes into play most prominently as the policy cycle concludes. This CMD model both draws attention to previously understudied elements of policymaking, and explores the dynamic and interrelated nature of these three phases of the policy process.

Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Preface
Chapter 1: State and Federal Regulation of Gambling
Chapter 2: Constitutional Guidance, Constraint and Interpretation
Chapter 3: Media Messages and Back Burner Bias
Chapter 4: Public Opinion on Internet Gambling
Chapter 5: A Decade of Debate and a Decision in a Day
Chapter 6: Interest Group Influence
Chapter 7: Laying Down the Law
Chapter 8: The Courts Weigh In
Chapter 9: The Causes and Consequences of Constraint, Momentum, and Discretion
Bibliography

Mayer’s work is extremely topical and current, while also accessible to students, academics, and interested readers. By examining the way in which policy evolved around Internet gambling, specifically Internet poker, Mayer presents an encapsulated example of the policy-making process. His case study on Internet gambling offers an opportunity for readers to meet as equals, before delving into the complicated process of policy making and analysis, and to enter the conversation in an area made familiar by popular culture, ready access, and personal experience. Mayer’s organization of the text highlights his desire to foster this kind of interaction and intellectual engagement between 'teachers' and students, laying out the book and engaging with the established scholarship in such a way that makes it both accessible and appropriately rigorous. His writing itself is clear and pleasant to read, another advantage for scholarly literature. I learned a great deal from his presentation of this topic and his step-by-step analysis of all of the political actors, processes, supporting scholarship, and the role of federalism in this policy area.