Intergovernmental relations, civil rights, and policy analysis : the administrative enforcement of equal employment opportunity laws

This study uses the overlapping authority model of intergovernmental relations to examine the administrative enforcement of equal employment opportunity laws. Overall, considerable support is provided for application of the overlapping authority model to understanding the nature of intergovernmental relations between the national Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state fair employment practice agencies. Regression analyses indicate a large proportion of variation in enforcement and content of charge resolution contracts can be explained by variations in variables which reflect measures of authority, interdependence, and bargaining. These findings enhance our understanding of the intergovernmental process of implementing equal employment opportunity law in a federal system of governance.