The regulatory breadth index: A new tool for the measurement and comparison of state-level charity regulation in the United States |
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| Authors: | Cindy M Lott Mary L Shelly Nathan Dietz George E Mitchell |
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| Institution: | 1. Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA;2. Biddle Law Library, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA;3. Do Good Institute, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA;4. Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, Baruch College, City University of New York, New York City, New York, USA |
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| Abstract: | The bulk of charity regulation in the United States occurs at the state level, yet state-level charity regulation remains relatively under-researched within nonprofit scholarship, particularly from a comparative perspective. The complexity and variation in statutory regulation, coupled with the large volume of legal research required to study state-level charity regulation systematically, has impeded scholarly progress toward a better understanding of the US charitable sector. We address this problem by deriving a state-level charity regulatory breadth index (RBI) that will enable nonprofit researchers to contextualize state-level charity research within a broader framework and to incorporate state-level regulation into analyses across states. Policymakers can also benefit from the ability to benchmark their regulatory regimes against their peers. |
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| Keywords: | charity regulation nonprofit law regulatory data state policy state regulation |
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