The measure of legislative professionalization I developed was first published a quarter century ago. Since then, updates have appeared periodically. In this note, I briefly document the measure’s usefulness in academic research and then calculate it for 2015. For reasons I detail, the updated measure is corrected for a misestimate of days in session for some states.
AbelTroy D.SalazarDebra J.RobertPatricia. 2015. “States of Environmental Justice: Redistributive Politics across the United States, 1993–2004.”Review of Policy Research32:200–25.
2.
AndersonSarah E.ButlerDaniel M.HarbridgeLaurel. 2016. “Legislative Institutions as a Source of Party Leaders’ Influence.”Legislative Studies Quarterly41:605–31.
3.
BakerTravis J.HedgeDavid M.2013. “Term Limits and Legislative-Executive Conflict in the American States.”Legislative Studies Quarterly38:237–58.
4.
BerryWilliam D.BerkmanMichael B.SchneidermanStuart. 2000. “Legislative Professionalism and Incumbent Reelection: The Development of Institutional Boundaries.”American Political Science Review94:859–74.
5.
BoehmkeFrederick J.2005. “Sources of Variation in the Frequency of Statewide Initiatives: The Role of Interest Group Populations.”Political Research Quarterly58:565–75.
6.
BoehmkeFrederick J.ShipanCharles R.2015. “Oversight Capabilities in the States: Are Professionalized Legislatures Better at Getting What They Want?”State Politics & Policy Quarterly15:366–86.
7.
BousheyGraeme T.LuedtkeAdam. 2011. “Immigrants across the U.S. Federal Laboratory: Explaining State-Level Innovation in Immigration Policy.”State Politics & Policy Quarterly11:390–414.
8.
BousheyGraeme T.McGrathRobert J.2017. “Experts, Amateurs, and Bureaucratic Influence in the American States.”Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory27:85–103.
9.
BowenDaniel C.GreeneZachary. 2014. “Should We Measure Professionalism with an Index? A Note on Theory and Practice in State Legislative Professionalism Research.”State Politics & Policy Quarterly14:277–96.
10.
BrownAdam R.GoodliffeJay. 2017. “Why Do Legislators Skip Votes? Position Taking versus Policy Influence.”Political Behavior39:425–55.
11.
CoggburnJerrell D.2003. “Exploring Differences in the American States’ Procurement Practices.”Journal of Public Procurement3:3–28.
12.
CoggburnJerrell D.KearneyRichard C.2010. “Trouble Keeping Promises? An Analysis of Underfunding in State Retiree Benefits.”Public Administration Review70:97–108.
13.
HardenJeffrey J.2013. “Multidimensional Responsiveness: The Determinants of Legislators’ Representational Priorities.”Legislative Studies Quarterly38:155–84.
14.
HearnJames C.McLendonMichael K.LacyT. Austin. 2013. “State-Funded ‘Eminent Scholars’ Programs: University Faculty Recruitment as an Emerging Policy Instrument.”Journal of Higher Education84:601–39.
15.
HuberJohn D.ShipanCharles R.PfahlerMadelaine. 2001. “Legislatures and Statutory Control of Bureaucracy.”American Journal of Political Science45:330–45.
16.
JenkinsShannon. 2010. “Examining the Influences over Roll Call Voting in Multiple Issue Areas: A Comparative US State Analysis.”Journal of Legislative Studies16:14–31.
17.
KaSangjoonTeskePaul. 2002. “Ideology and Professionalism—Electricity Regulation and Deregulation Over Time in the American States.”American Politics Research30:323–43.
18.
KattelmanKyle T.2015. “Legislative Professionalism and Interest Group Concentration: The ESA Model Revisited.”Interest Groups & Advocacy4:165–84.
19.
KelleherChristine A.WolakJennifer. 2007. “Explaining Public Confidence in the Branches of State Government.”Political Research Quarterly60:707–21.
20.
KelloughJ. EdwardSeldenSally Coleman. 2003. “The Reinvention of Public Personnel Administration: An Analysis of the Diffusion of Personnel Management Reforms in the States.”Public Administration Review63:165–76.
21.
KingJames D.2000. “Changes in Professionalism in U.S. State Legislatures.”Legislative Studies Quarterly25:327–43.
22.
KousserThad. 2005. Term Limits and the Dismantling of State Legislative Professionalism. New York: Cambridge University Press.
23.
KousserThadPhillipsJustin H.2012. The Power of American Governors: Winning on Budgets and Losing on Policy. New York: Cambridge University Press.
24.
LaxJeffrey R.PhillipsJustin H.2009. “Gay Rights in the States: Public Opinion and Public Responsiveness.”American Political Science Review103:367–86.
25.
LaxJeffrey R.PhillipsJustin H.2012. “The Democratic Deficit in the States.”American Journal of Political Science56:148–66.
26.
LewisDaniel C.SchneiderSaundra K.JacobyWilliam G.2015. “Institutional Characteristics and State Policy Priorities: The Impact of Legislatures and Governors.”State Politics & Policy Quarterly15:447–75.
27.
LiAmy Yunqi. 2017. “Covet Thy Neighbor or ‘Reverse Policy Diffusion’? State Adoption of Performance Funding 2.0.”Research in Higher Education. Published electronically January9. doi:10.1007/s11162-016-9444-9.
28.
MaestasCherie. 2003. “The Incentive to Listen: Progressive Ambition, Resources, and Opinion Monitoring among State Legislators.”Journal of Politics65:439–56.
29.
MalhotraNeil. 2006. “Government Growth and Professionalism in U.S. State Legislatures.”Legislative Studies Quarterly31:563–84.
30.
MalhotraNeil. 2008. “Disentangling the Relationship between Legislative Professionalism and Government Spending.”Legislative Studies Quarterly33:387–414.
31.
MarchettiKathleen. 2015. “Consider the Context: How State Policy Environments Shape Interest Group Advocacy.”State and Local Government Review47:155–69.
32.
MarquezTimothySchraufnagelScot. 2013. “Hispanic Population Growth and State Immigration Policy: An Analysis of Restriction (2008-2012).”Publius43:347–67.
33.
McCannClouserPamela J.ShipanCharles R.VoldenCraig. 2015. “Top-Down Federalism: State Policy Responses to National Government Discussions.”Publius45:495–525.
34.
McGrathRobert J.2013. “Legislatures, Courts, and Statutory Control of the Bureaucracy across the U.S. States.”State Politics & Policy Quarterly13:373–97.
35.
McLendonMichael K.HearnJames C.MokherChristine G.2009. “Partisans, Professionals, and Power: The Role of Political Factors in State Higher Education Funding.”Journal of Higher Education80:686–713.
36.
McLendonMichael K.TandbergDavid A.HillmanNicholas W.2014. “Financing College Opportunity: Factors Influencing State Spending on Student Financial Aid and Campus Appropriations, 1990 through 2010.”The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science655:143–62.
37.
MillerEdward AlanWangLiliFengZhanlianMorVincent. 2012. “Improving Direct-Care Compensation in Nursing Homes: Medicaid Wage Pass-Through Adoption, 1999-2004.”Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law37:469–512.
38.
MillerSusan M.2013. “Administering Representation: The Role of Elected Administrators in Translating Citizens’ Preferences into Public Policy.”Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory23:865–97.
39.
MoncriefGary F.NiemiRichard G.PowellLynda W.2004. “Time, Term Limits, and Turnover: Membership Stability in U.S. State Legislatures.”Legislative Studies Quarterly29:357–81.
40.
MoncriefGary F.SquirePeverill. 2017. Why States Matter: An Introduction to State Politics. 2nd ed.Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
41.
MonoganJames E.III. 2013. “The Politics of Immigration Policy in the 50 US States, 2005-2011.”Journal of Public Policy33:35–64.
42.
MooneyChristopher Z.1995. “Citizens, Structures, and Sister States: Influences on State Legislative Professionalism.”Legislative Studies Quarterly20:47–67.
43.
Nicholson-CrottyJillMillerSusan M.2012. “Bureaucratic Effectiveness and Influence in the Legislature.”Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory22:347–71.
44.
RichardsonLilliard E.Jr.KoniskyDavid M.MilyoJeffrey. 2012. “Public Approval of U.S. State Legislatures.”Legislative Studies Quarterly37:99–116.
45.
RichmanJesse. 2010. “The Logic of Legislative Leadership: Preferences, Challenges, and the Speaker’s Powers.”Legislative Studies Quarterly35:211–33.
46.
SchmeidaMaryMcNealRamona. 2013. “Children’s Mental-Health Language Access Laws: State Factors Influence Policy Adoption.”Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research40:364–70.
47.
ShipanCharles R.VoldenCraig. 2014. “When the Smoke Clears: Expertise, Learning and Policy Diffusion.”Journal of Public Policy34:357–87.
48.
SlemrodJoel. 2005. “The Etiology of Tax Complexity: Evidence from U.S. State Income Tax Systems.”Public Finance Review33:279–99.
49.
SquirePeverill. 1992. “Legislative Professionalization and Membership Diversity in State Legislatures.”Legislative Studies Quarterly17:69–79.
50.
SquirePeverill. 1993. “Professionalism and Public Opinion of State Legislatures.”Journal of Politics55:479–91.
51.
SquirePeverill. 1998. “Membership Turnover and the Efficient Processing of Legislation.”Legislative Studies Quarterly23:23–32.
52.
SquirePeverill. 2000. “Uncontested Seats in State Legislative Elections.”Legislative Studies Quarterly25:131–46.
53.
SquirePeverill. 2007. “Measuring Legislative Professionalism: The Squire Index Revisited.”State Politics & Policy Quarterly7:211–27.
54.
SquirePeverill. 2012. The Evolution of American Legislatures: Colonies, Territories and States, 1619-2009. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
55.
SquirePeverillHammKeith E.2005. 101 Chambers: Congress, State Legislatures, and the Future of Legislative Studies. Columbus: Ohio State University Press.
56.
SquirePeverillMoncriefGary F.2015. State Legislatures Today: Politics under the Domes. 2nd ed.Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
57.
SwiftClint S.VanderMolenKathryn A.2016. “Term Limits and Collaboration across the Aisle: An Analysis of Bipartisan Cosponsorship in Term Limited and Non-term Limited State Legislatures.”State Politics & Policy Quarterly16:198–226.
58.
TandbergDavid A.2013. “The Conditioning Role of State Higher Education Governance Structures.”Journal of Higher Education84:506–43.
59.
ThomMichaelAnBrian. 2017. “Fade to Black? Exploring Policy Enactment and Termination through the Rise and Fall of State Tax Incentives for the Motion Picture Industry.”American Politics Research45:85–108.
60.
ThomsonVivian E.ArroyoVicki. 2011. “Upside-Down Cooperative Federalism: Climate Change Policymaking and the States.”Virginia Environmental Law Journal29:3–61.
61.
TolbertCaroline J.MossbergerKarenMcNealRamona. 2008. “Institutions, Policy Innovation, and E-Government in the American States.”Public Administration Review68:549–63.
62.
VanderMolenKathrynMilyoJeffrey. 2016. “Public Confidence in the Redistricting Process: The Role of Independent Commissions, State Legislative Polarization, and Partisan Preferences.”State and Local Government Review48:236–45.
63.
WoodsNeal D.2008. “The Policy Consequences of Political Corruption: Evidence from State Environmental Programs.”Social Science Quarterly89:258–71.
64.
WrightGerald. 2007. “Do Term Limits Affect Legislative Roll Call Voting? Representation, Polarization, and Participation.”State Politics & Policy Quarterly7:256–80.
65.
YiHongtaoFeiockRichard C.2014. “Renewable Energy Politics: Policy Typologies, Policy Tools, and State Deployment of Renewables.”Policy Studies Journal42:391–415.
