Author: Gabriel Z. Citeli

Abstract

The Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo significantly alters the regulatory landscape by overturning Chevron deference, shifting interpretative authority from administrative agencies to the judiciary. Through a sustainable corporate governance perspective, this paper examines the role of administrative agencies in shaping policy under Chevron, the shift in regulatory interpretation following Loper Bright, and the challenges businesses now face in managing the legal and regulatory environment.

A thesis in progress in partial fulfillment of the requirements for departmental honors in Government at The University of Texas at Austin.

Abstract

Does congressional attention influence how much corporations discuss sustainability? This paper evaluates whether congressional hearings on sustainability-related issues are linked to increases in corresponding corporate risk disclosures. Legislative scrutiny can signal evolving regulatory expectations or public concern, potentially prompting firms to adjust the way they frame risk. However, the analysis finds that this relationship is inconsistent across topics and generally weak. These findings offer a perspective on the limits of congressional oversight as a tool for shaping corporate sustainability behavior, an issue of growing relevance in debates over transparency and governance.