Legislative Careerism, Institutional Resources, and Administrative Influence Over Legislative Policy Making in the American States

Abstract

This article augments previous findings regarding the impact of legislative professionalization on oversight of state agencies. We examine how the twin processes of institutional professionalization and legislative careerism condition the power relationship between state legilatures and bureaucracies by utilizing individual-level data provided by legislators themselves. Our findings suggest that such influence is more nuanced than previously believed. The relationship between careerism and bureaucratic power over legislative policy making is curvilinear, with administrative power varying by the level of professionalism in state houses, and the influence of careerism conditioned by the level of professionalization.