State legislators introduce more than 100,000 bills per year and the resulting statutes that become law govern every aspect of life and business in those states. But who exactly writes these laws? In Ghostwriting Legislation, Mary Kroeger delves into the central and often-overlooked role that interest groups, think tanks, companies, and bureaucrats play in writing state law. While legislators are not expected to draft and pass legislation without the input of outside actors, Kroeger argues that a democratic defect may arise if elected officials must rely substantially on non-legislators to craft high-quality bills. Ghostwriting Legislation explores the disconnect between legislative power and legislative capacity, providing key data and insights for those who care about democracy and the separation-of-power dynamics in state legislatures.
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Delves into the central yet often-overlooked role that interest groups, think tanks, companies, and bureaucrats play in shaping state law.
1. Introduction;
2. A Theory of the Interaction Between Legislator,
Legislature, and Groups;
3. Bring in the Bureaucrats;
4. Legislating from the
Outside in the Golden State;
5. Prepackaged Policy: Model Bill Use in the
Fifty US States;
6. Complexity and Deliberation by Design;
7. The Electoral
Connection: Democratic Implications of Outsider Involvement;
8. Conclusion:
Democracy in the States.
Mary Kroeger is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on US state politics, American political institutions, bureaucratic-legislative interactions, and policy diffusion. She has been published in leading journals including the American Journal of Political Science and The Journal of Politics.
