Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2025

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Program

Political Science

Advisor

Keena Lipsitz

Subject Categories

Nonprofit Studies | Policy History, Theory, and Methods | Political Science | Public Policy

Keywords

Subminimum Wage, OneFairWage, Multiple Streams, Policy Entrepreneurs, Kingdon, Windows of Oppurtunity

Abstract

Labor organizations do not significantly represent the interests of restaurant workers in the United States. In the absence of labor representation, nonprofits have become the main advocates for restaurant workers in politics. Among the most active is OneFairWage (OFW), a nonprofit focused on eliminating the subminimum wage for tipped restaurant workers. OFW’s legislative efforts have had mixed outcomes. Two of its campaigns - D.C. and Chicago - were successful. All other campaigns, like those in New York state and Michigan, have struggled to achieve their goal. Why has nearly identical legislation with the same target population of restaurant workers passed in some localities, but not in others? This paper compares three OFW campaigns – New York state, Chicago, and Michigan – using a framework from the Multiple Streams Approach (MSA), a dominant theory in policy formulation literature, in an attempt to map out the conditions necessary for OFW legislation to pass. It finds that MSA explains well the context in which OFW advocates operate, but the theory’s explanation for how those advocates might secure legislative approval for their respective bills is limited. What seems to separate the successful Chicago campaign for the other cases is OFW entrepreneur’s strong allyship with the city’s mayor. This finding suggests that strong partnerships with particularly influential actors, like an executive, throughout agenda-setting processes can lessen the amount of influence entrepreneurs need to directly exert on legislators in order to secure legislative approve for their bill; a key influential ally can make up for a lack of other resources. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs cannot necessarily bypass the consideration of legislative bodies in places that allow legislation to pass through ballot initiative. The case of Michigan illustrates a legislative’s body ability to exert power over ballot initiatives it finds unfavorable.

Download

Share

COinS