The Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency Program Meets Passage without Closure

Abstract

A new federal energy bill was precariously passed in December 2007 after both proponents and opponents of the proposed increase in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) championed their viewpoints. Elucidating the concept of closure in light of the passage of this bill, this article aims to show that the notion, truce declared and debate deferred, is a function of the modern political process. The propensity of the main stakeholders within the debate to speak past one another with little respect to each other's positions, advanced a compromise that satisfied nobody entirely, but most groups partially. In particular issues where compromise failed and went unresolved, loose and ambiguous wording filled the gaps. Hence the debate continues, despite a change in policy.