Honors Theses

Date of Award

Spring 5-13-2023

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Public Policy Leadership

First Advisor

Christian Sellar

Second Advisor

Melissa Bass

Third Advisor

Marvin King

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Drawing on data from a series of interviews with policy actors, as well as literature on the significance of spaces in policy development, this thesis investigates the relationships between formal and informal spaces in policymaking and their roles in creating laws. By examining evidence of the importance of spaces in policy making both in the United States and globally, this thesis highlights how spaces can have an outsized impact on the legislative process. Specifically, it argues that policy is often shaped and advanced within a limited number of spaces where power extends far beyond elected officials and the republican principle of "The Rule of Many." The implications of these findings are manifold, and it is the civic duty of the general public to gain a deeper understanding of the nation's inner workings.

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