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Higher Education and Congressional Influence on Administrative Decisions: An Examination of NSF and NIH Research Grant Funding to Four‐Year Universities
Author(s) -
Rabovsky Thomas M.,
Ellis William Curtis
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
social science quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.482
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1540-6237
pISSN - 0038-4941
DOI - 10.1111/ssqu.12001
Subject(s) - political science , bureaucracy , public administration , revenue , house of representatives , higher education , economics , legislature , accounting , politics , law
Objective This study examines grant funding to four‐year universities to determine if institutions with more powerful congressional delegations receive more in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Methods We analyze grant awards to public and private not‐for profit universities from 2000 through 2009. We employ panel‐corrected standard errors with panel‐specific AR1 terms to determine the influence of representation on key congressional committees, in conjunction with institutional characteristics, such as size and mission, in shaping institutional success in securing grant revenues. Results Time series, cross‐sectional analysis suggests that members of the U.S. House and Senate may be able to influence the allocation of seemingly merit‐based grants and contracts made by the NIH and the NSF. Conclusion We find some evidence that congressional‐bureaucratic relationships impact grant receipts, though the effects are moderate in magnitude.