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We are professors of political science. The goal is not to post partisan opinions, but rather to share our academic research. Learn more. Each post reflects only its author's views.
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Tag Archives: measurement
No, Utah will not have 80% turnout
Estimating Utah’s turnout by looking only at registered voters is like estimating Utah’s average wealth by looking only at those who are employed. Important note (November 20, 2012). The turnout numbers below rely on data from Michael McDonald. He has … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged election administration, greg bell, measurement, presidential election, turnout, voter registration, voting
3 Comments
Why pollsters should release their topline results
Polls can be done well or poorly. Releasing topline results aids the public in detecting poor polls. The Tribune reported a Mason-Dixon poll last week suggesting a wide Republican advantage in the race for Salt Lake County mayor. Yesterday, the … Continue reading
The Utah legislature passes far more bills than Congress
We should expect fewer laws out of the Utah legislature than out of Congress, yet we see the opposite. As I prepped some lecture data for my Congress course today, I was surprised at something I hadn’t noticed before: Congress … Continue reading
Evaluating the Senate’s second reading calendar
Absenteeism is, indeed, higher on the second reading. I posted earlier about absentee rates in the 2012 Utah legislature. There’s been some discussion in the comments about the second versus third reading calendars in the Senate. Here’s some data. Background: … Continue reading
Recap: What have we learned about the 2012 Utah legislature?
In case the whirlwind of posts analyzing the 2012 legislative session has been overwhelming, here’s a quick recap. I’ll be slowing down from here out. Who sponsored the most bills in 2012? Quick answer: Sen. Curt Bramble, any way you … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged absenteeism, consensus, leadership, legislature, measurement, partisanship, rankings, roll call votes, vetting
1 Comment
Party support scores for the 2012 Utah legislature
Which legislators are most partisan in their legislative voting? A legislator’s “party support” score measures the percentage of the time that he votes the same as as the majority of his party. If a House Democrat votes “aye,” and so … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged consensus, legislature, measurement, partisanship, rankings, roll call votes
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Who voted “no” in the 2012 Utah legislature?
Both chambers saw the most “no” votes come from a member of the Republican majority. Some legislators vote “no” far more often than others. You might expect this to reflect partisanship: In a Republican-dominated body, you would expect more “no” … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged consensus, legislature, measurement, partisanship, rankings, roll call votes
2 Comments
Utah legislators with the best and worst attendance records of 2012
The 2012 legislative session saw a modest decline in legislator absenteeism. In 2011, 7.1% of Representatives missed a typical vote in the Utah House, whereas 14.3% of Senators missed a typical vote in the Utah Senate. These numbers dropped somewhat … Continue reading
Consensus voting is still the norm in Utah legislature
The frequency of consensus voting should provide reassurance that the legislative process works much of the time. Congress is known for its partisan wrangling and party-line votes, but the environment is completely different in the Utah legislature. Here in Utah, … Continue reading
Before any of the debates. Before SuperStorm Sandy. Before the last-minute barrage of campaign advertising. He predicted the result perfectly over a month ago. Over the past several months, political scientists have consistently forecasted an Obama victory–a relatively narrow one, … Continue reading →