Congressional dominance and the international trade commission

This study examines the unfair trade decisions of the International Trade C ommission (ITC) and how they have been affected by Congress. It begins by i dentifying the means Congress can use to influence ITC decisions and then e stimates both the extent to which these means have been used and the extent to which they have shaped the ITC's behavior. The study reaches two conclu sions. First, Congress has tried to shape the ITC's behavior, but it has no t tried to micromanage this behavior. Second, while the ITC's behavior has been influenced by Congress, congressional influence is not as important as other factors, such as statutory criteria.