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25 J.L. & Pol. 83 (2009)
Navigating Policy by the Stars: The Influence of Celebrity Entertainers on Federal Lawmaking

handle is hein.journals/jlp25 and id is 87 raw text is: Navigating Policy by the Stars: The Influence of Celebrity Entertainers on Federal Lawmaking Linda J. Demaine, JD, PhD* ABSTRACT Celebrity entertainers such as actors, musicians, and professional athletes have become increasingly engaged in social advocacy during the past few decades, publicly expressing their perspectives on core policy issues including public health and safety, the environment, and foreign policy. This Article presents the results of an empirical and qualitative study of one particularly powerful form of celebrity advocacy-testimony before the U.S. Congress. The study reveals that federal legislators have invited hundreds of celebrity entertainers to testify at congressional hearings on issues unrelated to their occupations and that the practice has endured without careful reflection on the role that these persons should play in the legislative process. Drawing upon these findings, the Article considers the degree to which celebrity testimony is conducive to effective federal lawmaking and the extent to which this form of advocacy aligns with fundamental democratic ideals in American society. It concludes that celebrity testimony is problematic in both regards but explains why the practice is nonetheless likely to continue. INTRODUCTION 84 I. CHARACTERISTICS OF CELEBRITY ENTERTAINER CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY 90 A. Frequency of Celebrity Entertainer Testimony 90 B. Categories of Celebrity Entertainer Witnesses 93 C. Types of Hearings and Social Issues Addressed 94 D. Committees Before Which Celebrity Entertainers Appeared 96 II. MOTIVATIONS UNDERLYING CELEBRITY ENTERTAINER TESTIMONY 97 * Professor of Law, Affiliate Professor of Psychology, and Director of Law and Psychology Graduate Program, Arizona State University; American Psychological Association Congressional Fellow, 2002-03. The author thanks Robert Cialdini, Aaron Fellmeth, and Steve Neuberg for comments on earlier versions of the Article. For research assistance, she thanks Marianne Alcom, Amanda Kucera, Cole Schlabach, Alyssa Staudinger, and especially, Erin Cunningham and Beth DiFelice.

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