Legislative Participation in the American States: Determinants and Consequences

• Main Author: Kromer, Mileah Kay
• Other Authors: Robert Goidel
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: LSU 2008
• Subjects: Political Science
• Online Access: http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-07092008-211200/

This research seeks to analyze the variability in participation across legislators at the state level and to consider the potential consequences of participatory behavior. In this dissertation, I draw on theories of political participation, legislative goals, and state political institutions to explain participation in state legislative activities. To begin with, I examine legislative participation across the legislative process, considering the determinants of sponsorship and roll-call participation. Next, I examine the consequences that participation has for legislators focusing on challenger emergence in the general election. My research demonstrates that legislative participation varies systematically across individual, institutional, and state level variables. However, final results indicate that participatory variables do not condition challenger emergence in the general election.