Harmony in Horticulture: Rethinking State Preemption on Pesticide Regulation

Abstract

This three-paper dissertation investigates the adoption of state pesticide preemption policies in all 50 U.S. states from 1989 to 2016. Utilizing internal determinants, external factors (policy diffusion), and conventional policy preemption literature, the study quantitatively explores the factors influencing policy adoption. The overarching research question addresses what factors make states more inclined to adopt policies preempting local governments. Additionally, the dissertation aims to determine which of the three models (internal determinants, external factors, or conventional policy preemption) best explains the variation in state pesticide preemption policy adoption across the United States. The literature review examines existing empirical evidence on policy adoption, policy diffusion, and state preemption across states. Subsequently, the dissertation presents various analytic approaches to test specific hypotheses derived from internal determinants and diffusion models of policy adoption and preemption literature. The study utilizes Competing Risk Analysis (a model of Survival Analysis) to investigate the research questions, considering the characteristics of the variables involved. This internal determinant chapter examines internal factors like the political party concerning the governor and legislature, industry influence, and institutional variables to understand why some states adopt pesticide preemption policies. It finds that while a governor's party affiliation has limited impact, party control of legislatures, unified government, industry influence, and legislative professionalism are stronger drivers of policy adoption. The external determinant/ regional diffusion paper highlights that, in addition to neighboring states, economic competition plays a significant role in policy diffusion. The study suggests that states often seek guidance from others that have similar economic characteristics or are geographically close, such as sharing a border, when making policy decisions. The preemption paper enhances the preemption literature by examining the factors influencing state-level decision-making in pesticide regulation. It highlights how demographics, partisanship, and institutional frameworks shape local governance and emphasizes American Legislative Exchange Council's (ALEC) influence on state policy and its impact on local authority.