The use of impression management to promote 'starve the beast' policies

Amy M. Hageman, Vicky Arnold and Steve G. Sutton

International Journal of Critical Accounting, 2009, vol. 1, issue 1/2, 123-143

Abstract: This study explores the use of impression management techniques promoting tax policy consistent with starve the beast (STB) policies. We employ thematic content analysis to examine how the 'independent' Federal Reserve Board (FRB) under Alan Greenspan used impression management tactics mimicking Bush's White House in promoting the 2001 Economic Growth & Revenue Reconciliation Act. Results confirm impression management technique use to market STB policies undermining society's interests. Results suggest Greenspan's advocacy failed to preserve FRB independence by taking a political position using impression management techniques mirroring White House strategies. Greenspan's stance was inconsistent with the FRB's charter, setting a dangerous precedence that erodes the FRB's independence. This suggests the FRB's lack of regulatory oversight blamed for snowballing the 2008 economic crisis was potentially driven by attempts to align the FRB with the neoconservative White House. This partisan activity threatens long-term foundations of US monetary policy, which has significant global implications.

Keywords: critical accounting; impression management; starve the beast; STB; tax policy; Federal Reserve Board; FRB; monetary policy; neoconservatism; neoliberalism; content analysis; regulatory oversight; USA; United States. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=25334 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijcrac:v:1:y:2009:i:1/2:p:123-143

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Critical Accounting from Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sarah Parker ().