Know rules governing how special interests influence government
1.In Q1 2026, 11 major tech companies spent $20 million on federal lobbying — about $226,000 per day Congress was in session. Three phone calls to the president the night of May 20 produced a 67% reduction in the AI review window at zero disclosed cost. What does this comparison tell us about different forms of corporate influence on federal policy?
2.Water utilities can use several treatment methods to remove PFAS from drinking water. Which approach is most commonly used in practice, and why does it dominate over other options?
3.Three different frameworks explain why PFAS regulation took decades. The first is Regulatory Capture: industry lobbying delayed EPA action. The second is Environmental Racism: contamination hit lower-income communities hardest. The third is Path Dependency: once PFAS was widely deployed, reversing use became "economically infeasible." Which framework best explains the pattern, and what would change policy outcomes under each?
4.Which actor most directly influenced senators to include the RIF ban?
5.What mechanism allowed Musk, Zuckerberg, and Sacks to cut the AI model review window from 90 days to 30 days?
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