Political elites and regulatory bureaucrats: a case study concerning age discrimination

In 1988, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing on effectiveness of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) with regard to age discrimination cases. The Hearing reported that approximately 7,500 age-based claims had run the statute of limitations. The article analyzes the ideological context of regulation, first, by explaining the purpose, procedures, and effectiveness of the EEOC in enforcing the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Secondly, the article analyzes the 1988 Senate Hearing, including background issues and immediate outcomes. Thirdly, it discusses what has happened since 1988 from the perspectives of political elites, regulatory bureaucrats, and interest-group members.