American Enterprise Institute

The FCC can do more to elevate rigorous decision-making

It is no secret that partisan politics infiltrated and shook the Federal Communications Commission’s decision-making during the waning years of the Obama administration. The rise of political considerations in FCC decisions, and the concomitant decline in substantive considerations, are also symptoms of a larger problem at the FCC; namely an organizational structure that encourages a silo mentality, favors people with legal training over people schooled in analysis, and muffles expert voices. There are several options for restructuring the FCC, but any successful reorganization must emphasi