Gilt by Associations: Appointments to Federal Advisory Committees in U.S. National Security Politics

Abstract

Federal Advisory Committees (FACs) offer opportunities for private citizens to gain access to the national security apparatus of the U.S. government. What explains the appointment of interest group affiliates to national security FACs? This article analyzes patterns of interest-group membership in FACs, using an original data set based on official General Services Administration data. Organizational affiliations are identified across thousands of appointments. The analysis shows that interest-group appointments to critical national security FACs increase with opposition-party power in Congress. This suggests that interest-group access improves when the administration needs help with a political strategy to overcome legislative opposition.