An Appetite for Data? Drivers of Variation in U.S. State Food Animal Antibiotic Use Data Collection Policies Pubblico

Abstract

This thesis investigates the causes of variation in the strength of three U.S. state policies to collect antibiotic use data from farm animal operations. The overuse of antibiotics in food animal production contributes to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing a grave threat to humans in the form of drug-resistant infections. Collecting and analyzing antibiotic use data is essential to design, enforce, and improve policies to prevent human drug-resistant infections. Two U.S. states have passed legislation to collect antibiotic use data from veterinarians and farm operations; the puzzle this thesis addresses is why states vary in the presence and strength of their animal antibiotic use policies. I use a most-similar, comparative case analysis of three states (Maryland, California, and Georgia) to test the theory that strong consumer advocacy groups and producer group support are necessary and sufficient to pass strong state antibiotic use data collection policy. Based on evidence from nine interviews with government officials, subject experts, and employees of state producer and consumer advocacy groups, this project demonstrates that most meat producer groups across species sectors are cohesive in their preferences opposing state AMU regulation. However, when pushed by consumer advocacy groups and progressive producer groups like Perdue Farms in Maryland, the differing capacities of poultry compared to cattle and swine producers increased poultry producer groups’ willingness to accept state data collection policy. Maryland consumer advocacy groups exhibited greater strength due to stronger linkages with human healthcare groups and legislative actors than their counterparts in California. Consumer advocacy groups’ addition of strong data collection provisions and stringent implementation directions in the Maryland law was aided by a weaker iron triangle relationship between legislative committees, Departments of Agriculture, and producer groups demonstrated in Maryland compared to California. Ultimately, this research shows that the responsibility to push for antibiotic use data collection at the state level lies mainly with strong consumer advocacy group coalitions that leverage fragmentation within state producer groups to weaken the meat industry’s control over state policy agendas and outcomes. 

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction __________________________________________________________________ 1- 5

Background ________________________________________________________________ 5 - 24

Motivation ____________________________________________________________ 5 - 12

International and U.S. Federal Landscape __________________________ 12 - 24

Literature Review: Iron Triangles and Interest Group Strength _________ 24 - 40

Theory and Hypotheses ___________________________________________________ 40 - 53

Research Design: Case Comparison ______________________________________ 53 - 66

Construction of Variables ___________________________________________ 58 - 66

Results _____________________________________________________________________66 - 92

Maryland ____________________________________________________________ 66 - 77

California ____________________________________________________________78 - 85

Georgia ______________________________________________________________ 85 - 94

State-Level Antibiotic Use Policies: Obstacles and Opportunities_ 95 - 96

Conclusion _________________________________________________________________96 - 98

Limitations _________________________________________________________ 98 - 101

Future Directions __________________________________________________101 - 102

References _______________________________________________________________ 103 - 123

Appendix ________________________________________________________________ 124 - 129

About this Honors Thesis

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• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Emory College
Department	Political Science
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health Political Science, General Environmental Health
Parola chiave	antimicrobial resistance antibiotic use industrial food animal production
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Doner Richard, Emory University
Committee Members	Antia Rustom, Emory University Jung Danielle, Emory University

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