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The State of Surveying Legislators: Dilemmas and Suggestions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Cherie Maestas ,
Grant W. Neeley  and
Lilliard E. Richardson Jr.
Cherie Maestas
Affiliation:
Texas Tech University
Grant W. Neeley
Affiliation:
University of Cincinnati
Lilliard E. Richardson Jr.
Affiliation:
University of Missouri
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Abstract

State-level research affords scholars a unique opportunity to study legislative behavior because state legislators are accessible in ways that members of congress are not. State legislators' willingness to respond to interviews and questionnaires has provided scholars with a rich array of data about their behavior and perceptions. This survey research has contributed greatly to our theoretical and practical knowledge of legislative behavior and institutions. We examine 73 articles published in top academic journals from 1975 to 2000 to identify common techniques of surveying state legislators and suggest ways in which scholars can enhance the prospects for collecting high quality data. We also consider what type of collective efforts could be undertaken to enhance this underutilized resource for studying legislative politics.

Type
Other
Information
State Politics & Policy Quarterly , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , March 2003 , pp. 90 - 108
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 The American Political Science Association

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