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Legislators and Administrators: Complex Relationships Complicated by Term Limits
Author(s) -
SARBAUGHTHOMPSON MARJORIE,
STRATE JOHN,
LEROUX KELLY,
ELLING RICHARD C.,
THOMPSON LYKE,
ELDER CHARLES D.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
legislative studies quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.728
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1939-9162
pISSN - 0362-9805
DOI - 10.3162/036298010790821978
Subject(s) - legislator , legislature , term (time) , confusion , state (computer science) , public administration , legislative process , political science , process (computing) , public relations , business , law , legislation , psychology , computer science , physics , algorithm , quantum mechanics , psychoanalysis , operating system
State legislators' relationships with administrators have received scant attention in the literature despite the importance of these relationships for delivery of public services. We explored whether or not the legislator‐administrator relationship in one professional state legislature resembles Congress's oversight of federal agencies. We also assessed whether or not term limits changed this relationship. Our findings indicate that monitoring state agencies was a low priority for this legislature, and it dropped even lower after term limits were implemented. More specifically, we found some institutional roles to be associated with legislators placing a higher priority on monitoring, especially before term limits, whereas some individual motives were associated with a lower priority, especially after term limits. Legislators exhibited more confusion about the process of monitoring after term limits.