A federal reparations commission by executive order can build public support through hearings

Evidence

Part III is where I outline the practical steps to getting reparations for black Americans. Based on the results of focus group testing that I commissioned, I demonstrate that the right kind of messaging can change the hearts and minds of those initially opposed to reparations. I lay out the case for creating a commission, by executive order from the president, to collect evidence and testimonies, publicize its findings through a series of televised hearings, and finally issue recommendations, building public support along the way. Compensation should include not only cash payments to individuals but also funding for systemic reforms. I explain why these payments would be legal, how we will calculate the cost, how we will pay for them, and how they are the inevitable next step in righting the wrongs done to black Americans. — Dorothy A. Brown, Getting to Reparations, 51

Categorization

• QUESTION: Brown’s commission design is worth tracing to its source: HR 40 (Reparations commission bill) and its companions — how does her executive-order route differ from the congressional route?
• XREF: connects to: Congressional oversight of the executive thrives because hearings offer media exposure — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 530