CLOSING MILITARY BASES (FINALLY) - SOLVING COLLECTIVE DILEMMAS THROUGH DELEGATION

In 1988 Congress established the Independent Commission on Base Realig nment and Closure and gave it nearly complete authority to determine w hich domestic military bases would be closed. I analyze both the struc ture of the base-closing process and the procedural requirements impos ed on the commission, and find that two factors explain the extensive delegation of power (which was unusual). First, legislators reduced th e costs of any potential adverse commission activity by insisting that the process be nonarbitrary and by restricting the commission's autho rity to a narrow jurisdiction. Second, legislators lowered the risk of political retribution by insulating themselves from the commission's actions, providing a mechanism that allowed them to demonstrate concer n for affected constituents and insuring that the public would accept the commission's decision as legitimate.