This article examines the relationship between committee assignments and legislators' policy interests in state governments.
The Matching Concept: The author develops a theory suggesting that effective legislating depends on aligning members' policy priorities with their assigned committees' jurisdictions.
Methodology: A novel measure of this committee-member alignment is created for all legislators across 12 state lower chambers, using data from states during the relevant period.
Findings: This "matching" between legislator interests and committee work significantly impacts a member's ability to advance legislation through the legislative process.
The study demonstrates that when members are assigned to committees matching their expertise or concerns, they experience greater success in navigating bills toward passage.
| The Legislative Matching Game: Committee Matching and Effective Legislating in the States was authored by Clint Swift. It was published by Sage in SPPQ in 2020. |
