How the legislative process affects telecommunications policy: Analysis of legislation on cellular communications considered by the United States House of Representatives' Commerce Committee during the 103rd and 104th Congresses.

摘要

This dissertation studied Congressional decision making on science and technology policy using analysis of legislation on cellular communications as a case study of the larger field of telecommunications. Telecommunications is currently a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States. This dissertation studied action by the House Commerce Committee, during the 103rd and 104th Congresses on cellular communications legislation, to see how Congressional decision making affects public policy that is necessary to meet two sometimes conflicting policy needs. These policy needs are: encouragement of continued development of the telecommunications industry in order to have a positive effect on the American economy overall and "universal service," making affordable communications technologies available to every American. The influence of the long distance and local phone industries and various science and technology policy actors at the Federal level, as well as the changes in Congressional leadership from the 103rd to the 104th Congresses, was studied regarding legislation on cellular communications. Analysis included examination of H.R. 3626 and H.R. 3636 from the 103rd Congress and H.R. 1555 from the 104th Congress. Aspects of these bills became part of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, sweeping legislation which will affect all segments of the telecommunications industry into the next century.