| Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforcement of campaign finance laws may run counter to the desires of political officials within the federal institutions that sustain the agency. To address this paradox, the research quantitatively analyzes the relationship between agency resources, such as budget, legislation, appointments, and judicial actions, and the FEC's administrative behavior as measured by its initiation of enforcement cases from 1976 to 1999. This research uses organization theory and statistical methodology (AUTOREG) to assess the longitudinal relationship between agency resources and behavior. The analysis (a) indicates agency budget and appointments are statistically significant concerning FEC administrative behavior over time, (b) contributes to political and administrative research, and (c) identifies prospective inquiries. |
