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We are professors of political science sharing academic research relevant to Utah. Posts are not peer reviewed and may discuss work in progress that is subject to future revision. Learn more. Each post reflects only its author’s views.
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Category Archives: Everything
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
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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
The Utah legislature’s 20 closest votes in 2012
Yesterday, I wrote that narrow votes are extremely rare in the Utah legislature, as are party-line votes. Instead, the legislature shows a clear preference for consensus voting, with majorities of Democrats and Republicans voting on the same side. Of course, … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged consensus, legislature, rankings, voting
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The Utah legislature’s 20 closest votes in 2012
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
Posted in Everything
Tagged consensus, legislature, measurement, partisanship, vetting
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Consensus voting is still the norm in Utah legislature
Bills were introduced later, passed faster in 2012 session
In 2008, 44% of bills were introduced on day 1. In 2012, only 28% were introduced on day 1. Now that the 2012 session of the Utah legislature has wrapped up, what can we observe? For one thing, it appears … Continue reading
Poll: Should Utah schools teach about contraception?
Self-identified “strong Republicans” are the only group that clearly opposes instruction about contraceptives. This analysis was performed by Jessica Biggs, a student research fellow at BYU’s Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy, in collaboration with CSED faculty. The … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged education, legislature, partisanship, polls, sex, student research, utah voter poll
5 Comments
Who sponsored the most bills in 2012?
As hard as he worked, Rep. Dougall was not the most active bill sponsor this session. By any measure, that was Sen. Bramble. I’ve seen a few media reports claiming that Utah Rep. John Dougall sponsored more bills than any … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged legislature, measurement, rankings, sponsorship
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Who sponsored the most bills in 2012?
Cage match: Herrod v Liljenquist
On bills that pass, Liljenquist and Herrod agree 97% of the time. Chris Herrod has served in the Utah House since 2007. Dan Liljenquist served in the Utah Senate from 2009 through 2011. Both want to replace Orrin Hatch in … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged absenteeism, cage match, legislature, nominations
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Cage match: Herrod v Liljenquist
Fact check: The audacity of nope
Dan Liljenquist did indeed cast fewer “nay” votes than average during his time as a state senator. A couple weeks, Dan Liljenquist posted a campaign video called “Audacity of Nope” to Youtube. In brief, he argued that the government should … Continue reading
Why is Utah’s turnout falling?
In the 1980s, Utah ranked in the top 10 for voter turnout; since 2006, Utah has ranked in the bottom 5. Why? Earlier today, I wrote about Utah’s declining turnout, and about claims made yesterday in a legislative committee that … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged nominations, representation, turnout, voter registration, voting, youth
5 Comments