Who are we?
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 Posts are not peer reviewed and may discuss work in progress that is subject to future revision.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.
Hear about new posts
Twitter @poliARB
Archives
Category Archives: Everything
Which counties have more registration errors?
A little while ago, I wrote that Utah’s voter file has many people with invalid birthdates. Thousands of registered voters were apparently born between 1800 and 1810, for example.
Are children and dead people voting in Utah?
Update: Just to clarify for some folks who have read the headline without reading to the end of this post: No, I have not found any evidence that dead people or children are voting in Utah. I have only found … Continue reading
Can subtle wordplay boost voter turnout?
You might boost turnout by 11-14 percentage points if you urge folks to “be a voter” rather than just “to vote.” Prior to each election, do-gooders throughout the state remind people to vote. Utah’s lieutenant governor prepares voter information guides, … Continue reading
Has Orrin Hatch been left behind by the Republican Party?
Since 2001, Hatch has been less conservative than the Senate GOP average. Sarah Binder, a political scientist and Congressional expert at George Washington University, took a look today at Sen. Orrin Hatch’s voting record. (Her post is on the Monkey … Continue reading
Receive our posts in your email inbox
After putting it off for some time, I finally added email functionality. If you would like to receive each of our new posts by email, then use the form off to our website’s right-hand side to sign up. Emails will … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Comments Off on Receive our posts in your email inbox
Receive our posts in your email inbox
Are citizens involved in redistricting?
Every single person who has proposed a redistricting map is male. Utah’s redistricting committee has invited any citizen to create their own redistricting map and publish it at RedistrictUtah.com. The site went live a few weeks ago. The first citizen … Continue reading
Which legislators run the most bills?
Far and away, the most active sponsor of bills in the Utah legislature is Senator Curt Bramble. A couple weeks ago, I posted information about which legislators skip the most votes. Voting is an important part of a legislator’s job, … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged absenteeism, backdoor power, leadership, legislature, measurement, senate president, speaker of the house, sponsorship
Comments Off on Which legislators run the most bills?
Which legislators run the most bills?
Do we live in a “compound Constitutional Republic” or something else?
There are no uses of the phrase “compound constitutional republic” in any American English book from 1800 through 2000. Last March, the Utah legislature passed a bill (HB 220) requiring Utah’s public schools to teach that the United States is … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged democracy, direct democracy, james madison, legislature, representation, republic
9 Comments
How might changes in Tea Party support affect a Chaffetz-Hatch-Matheson race?
The Tea Party movement in Utah is becoming more and more of a Republican phenomenon. The Tea Party movement continues to make its voice heard around the country and in Utah. Earlier this week, tea party activists protested at the … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged delegates, jason chaffetz, jim matheson, nominations, orrin hatch, partisanship, tea party, utah colleges exit poll, utah voter poll
Comments Off on How might changes in Tea Party support affect a Chaffetz-Hatch-Matheson race?
How might changes in Tea Party support affect a Chaffetz-Hatch-Matheson race?
Why do legislators skip votes?
Legislative leaders skip way more votes than non-leaders. Let’s continue this study of absenteeism in the Utah legislature. Earlier, I showed that Utah legislators skip lots of votes. Then, I showed that legislators miss some types of votes more than … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged absenteeism, floor power, leadership, legislature
Comments Off on Why do legislators skip votes?
Why do legislators skip votes?