Implementation and Safety Regulation

Abstract

The public policy literature suggests that effective program implementation is less likely if formulation and implementation reside at different levels of government than if they are at the same level. This article provides an empirical examination of this hypothesis using the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) as the vehicle for the analysis. The Act allows states the option of implementing its provisions; 22 states operate their own programs while federal officials operate programs in the remaining 28. Comparison of enforcement activity across these two levels of implementation indicates that federal officials have displayed significantly more implementation activity than their state counterparts. Explanations of the differences in factors which affect implementation effort for the two groups of programs and the implications for future policy development are offered.

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