Congressional policymaking has a significant impact on the management of wetlands in the United States. Both the congressional committees and witnesses who participate in hearings play significant roles in helping define wetland policy. This research examines congressional 240 hearings and 1569 witnesses who testified from 1789 to 1995 on wetlands. Based on key issues from witnesses and the committees who set the agenda, the findings show that three distinct eras exist in wetland policymaking in Congress. Era I (1789-1945) was characterized by a dominant monopoly of agricultural and development issues in congressional policymaking. Agricultural committees dominated in framing the debate by controlling the hearings and legislative discussion of issues during this time period. A significant break-up of these dominant agricultural issues occurred in Era II from 1946-1965 with the early beginning of public attention to environmental issues and the start of scientific investigation into wetlands. However, since Era III, which began in 1966, wetland policymaking in Congress has been highly conflictual, with no single committee or witness dominating. The growth of wetland science and continued public interest in wetlands presents a challenge to the dominant agricultural and development interests that once controlled congressional policymaking. Unlike in Era I, wetland congressional policymaking today reflects many different issues and participants without a dominant monopoly that controls the issue. Wetland policy debates no longer focus solely on agricultural concerns but have expanded and been re-defined to include issues such as leisure, environmental protection, private property, and economics. Chi Square tests and a regression analysis demonstrate the strong relationship among hearings, venues, and witnesses. A major conclusion drawn from the study is that congressional wetland policymaking is a more open and democratic process than in earlier eras.
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