5/9/18
That’s Right…Politics With most TGRA leaders serving as either appointed or elected officials, it is virtually impossible to avoid the political dynamics of Tribal Government. • Conflict between governmental branches regarding persons appointed/not appointed, or confirmed/not confirmed to serve as a Commissioner; • The TGRA’s as an “independent” agency; • Taking regulatory actions that may be politically unpopular; • The political strain associated with appropriating an expensive agency budget; • Village/Clan/Family affiliations – or Member/Nonmember status; • Political loyalties – real or perceived; • What else??
Politics…still With the inescapable political implications inherent to managing TGRAs, Regulatory Officials must be “politically competent” in that: • They are aware of the politics of the Tribe, can anticipate the likely political reactions to specific Agency actions/activity, and when possible, can craft ways to mitigate political blowback while still meeting the Agency’s objectives; • They are aware of the political authorities that impact the TGRA and, to the extent possible, they are aware of the personalities, motivations and priorities of those authorities. They consider these factors in Agency decision-making; • They understand and consider not only the politics of the Tribal Government, but also the politics of the Tribal Community. • They are able to realistically “weigh” regulatory benefit against political cost.
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