Public Comments, Private Interests

When rulemaking transitioned online in 2003, the U.S. federal government's e-rulemaking program was designed to make policy deliberations more democratic through Regulations.gov. However, the field of technical and professional communication (TPC) has demonstrated that online spaces can recreate existing social inequities. This research found thousands of public comments that were identical to each other in proposed rules and were traced back to private organizations trying to influence policy, but they may provide incomplete or inaccurate information about the rulemaking process. Technical communicators who understand the policy ecosystem can facilitate a more meaningful dialogue between citizens and government agencies.