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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 Posts are not peer reviewed and may discuss work in progress that is subject to future revision.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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Tag Archives: legislature
What do Utahns think about legislators’ privacy?
An overwhelming majority (78%) say that “the public’s right to access” is the most important. Public opinion toward complex issues is difficult to measure, especially as the issues involve a choice between important values. The recent debate over the Utah … Continue reading
Will Utah’s redistricting committee be biased?
Speaker Lockhart and President Waddoups apparently did not try to stack the redistricting committee. Yesterday, legislative leaders announced which members of the Utah legislature would serve on the redistricting committee. Let’s consider which groups are well represented on this committee … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged bias, ideology, legislature, measurement, rankings, redistricting, republic, utah county
2 Comments
Who has the decisive vote in the Utah legislature?
In 2011 the legislators with the most floor power were Sen. Stuart Adams and Rep. Don Ipson. If we look at floor votes in the Utah House and Senate, who are the most powerful legislators? Hint: It’s not the Speaker … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged backdoor power, floor power, ideology, leadership, legislature, measurement, median voter theorem, rankings, roll call votes, senate president, speaker of the house
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Who has the decisive vote in the Utah legislature?
How rushed was HB 477, the GRAMA bill?
HB477 passed faster than 99.4% of the routine bills that passed in 2011. There have many complaints about HB 477, the bill that revised Utah’s GRAMA bill. One of those complaints is that the bill was rushed through the legislative … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged grama, legislature
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How rushed was HB 477, the GRAMA bill?
Where have all the freshman legislators gone?
Despite the crummy salary, service in the Utah legislature has become a career. Take a look at the figure below (click to enlarge). For each odd-numbered year (i.e. each year after an election), it shows what percentage of Utah legislators … Continue reading
Social science: It works
Data-based analysis can contribute in meaningful ways to Utah’s political dialogue. Last Friday, March 4, the Senate passed HB 497, Rep. Stephen Sandstrom’s illegal immigration enforcement bill, by a vote of 22-5 with 2 absent. The bill was almost identical … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged immigration, legislature, roll call votes
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Social science: It works
Was HB 410 a bipartisan battle between moderates and ideologues?
It’s extremely unusual that the legislators in the center would team up to vote against the legislators at the extremes. Something weird happened today in the Utah legislature. The Utah House of Representatives voted on Becky Edwards’s HB 410, but … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged ideology, immigration, leadership, legislature, measurement, partisanship, roll call votes
3 Comments
Will Sandstrom’s immigration bill pass the Senate?
If the Senate votes on HB 70 without any amendments, I predict that it will pass easily On Friday, the Utah House passed H.B. 70, Rep. Stephen Sandstrom’s illegal immigration enforcement bill. Now it goes to the Senate. If the … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged ideology, immigration, legislature, roll call votes
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Will Sandstrom’s immigration bill pass the Senate?
How educated are Utah’s legislators?
How do Utah’s two chambers rank in terms of legislators’ education? The Utah Senate is above average. The Utah House is well below average. There are 99 state legislative bodies in the United States. That is, there are 49 states … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged education, legislature
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How educated are Utah’s legislators?
Is Rep. Dougall the same (ideologically) as Rep. Frank?
Utah news has been aflutter for the past week about an error made by the Utah County Clerk’s office that results in Rep. Craig Frank losing his seat. Seems that a couple thousand Utahns–including Frank–who thought they lived in Frank’s … Continue reading
Posted in Everything
Tagged ideology, legislature, partisanship, redistricting, utah county
4 Comments