Apparent Determinants of a Firm's Political Access?

These predictors were determined to be determinants of a firm’s political access as defined in the Restated Research Question document http://www.stat.rice.edu/~dobelman/download/ForAOM.html#node1

January 7, 2006.

Dependent Variables: NUMERICAL DATA

1)        Size of Network, Senate (Q8)

2)        Size of Network, House (Q17)

3)        Private meetings, Senate (Q11c)

4)        Private meetings, House (Q20c)

Independent (Predictor) Variables: VARIOUS DATA

The baseline model seems to be that each political response is a function of:

H1 "Issue Salience": items Q1, Q2

            Q1      # US Congressional bills company monitored     [1 None - Lots 7]

            Q2      # US Congressional bills company actively participated in lobbying     [1 None - Lots 5]

H2  "Ability": items: REV02

Firm sales - Use 2002 Sales (see rationale; variable name REV02)

H3  "Resource Dependence/ Regulatory Uncertainty": items Q25, Q26

Q25    My company faces a high degree of regulation.              [1 Agree - Disagree 5]

Q26    We face a slowly changing regulatory environment.        [1 Agree - Disagree 5]

H4  "Information Political Strategy": Items Q72, Q73, Q62, Q63, Q64, Q34, Q74

            Q72    How many outside lobbyists do you hire on retainer?     [NUMERICAL]

            Q73    How many outside lobbyists for special projects?           [NUMERICAL]

            Q62    CEO testified at a congressional hearing             [1 YES / NO 2]

            Q63    CEO testified at a regulatory hearing                    [1 YES / NO 2]

            Q64    CEO argued in industry trade association about public policy matter [1 YES / NO 2]

            Q34    Company served on an advisory committee of a regulatory agency     [1 YES / NO 2]

            Q74    Company been invited to join any of the business advisory groups to [1 YES / NO 2]

the federal  government, such as the Advisory Committee on Trade Policy Negotiations or the FTC Advisory Committee on Online Access and Security

H5   “Top management Commitment”  Items: Q61

Q61 % time our top managers dedicate to public policy annually?       [1 Little - Lots 6]

H6   "Financial Incentive Political Strategy" Items Allgive02, Largess02;  Q67, Q69, Q78

            AllGive02= FedTTLbux02 + SFTTTL02 + bux_TTL02.

            Largess02 = 100*AllGive02/(Income02*1,000,000)

            Q67    # senior managers worked for any level of US government

            Q69    # Board memebers worked for any level of US government

            Q78    How often does your company attend political fundraisers?      [1 Never - Daily 6]

H7    "Constituency-Building Political Strategy": Items Q81, Q82, Q83, Q84, Q39, Q44, Q52, Q57

            Q81    How often does your company conduct political education        [1 Never - Daily 6]

programs?

            Q82    How often does your company use public relations advertising in [1 Never - Daily 6]

the media for political issues affecting your company?

            Q83    How often does your company hold press conferences on public   [1 Never - Daily 6]

policy issues?

            Q84    How often does your company use grassroots political programs? [1 Never - Daily 6]

            Q39    Coordinate with other firms in industry                  [1 Never - Lots 5]

            Q44    Coordinate with other firms outside of industry    [1 Never - Lots 5]

            Q52    Coordinate with labor groups                                 [1 Zero - Lots 5]

            Q57    Coordinate with non-business interest groups     [1 Zero - Lots 5]