Hostname: page-component-669899f699-qzcqf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-25T21:50:21.206Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Measuring State Legislative Professionalism: The Squire Index Revisited

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Peverill Squire
Peverill Squire*
Affiliation:
University of Iowa
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In this article, I revisit a widely used measure of legislative professionalism that I developed over a decade ago (Squire 1992a). I argue that professionalism has different implications for legislators than for legislatures and that the concept is distinct from careerism. I then discuss the mechanics of compiling the measure, its reliability and validity, and potential criticism of the measure. Finally, I provide scores on the measure for 1979, 1986, 1996, and 2003, as well as scores for 1979 and 2003 for a revised measure that is theoretically appropriate for use in dynamic analyses.

Type
The Practical Researcher
Information
State Politics & Policy Quarterly , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , Summer 2007 , pp. 211 - 227
Copyright
Copyright © 2007 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Bell, Charles G., and Price, Charles M.. 1975. The First Term. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Berkman, Michael B. 1993. “Former State Legislators in the U. S. House of Representatives: Institutional and Policy Mastery.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 18:77–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berkman, Michael B. 2001. “Legislative Professionalism and the Demand for Groups: The Institutional Context of Interest Population Density.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 26:661–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berry, William D., Berkman, Michael B., and Schneiderman, Stuart. 2000. “Legislative Professionalism and Incumbent Reelection: The Development of Institutional Boundaries.” American Political Science Review 94:859–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowman, Ann O'M., and Kearney, Richard C.. 1988. “Dimensions of State Government Capability.” Western Political Quarterly 41:341–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carey, John M., Niemi, Richard G., and Powell, Lynda W.. 2000. “Incumbency and the Probability of Reelection in State Legislative Elections.” Journal of Politics 62:671–700.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Citizens Conference on State Legislatures. 1971. State Legislatures: An Evaluation of Their Effectiveness. New York: Praeger.Google Scholar
Congressional Quarterly. 1993. Congress A to Z. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly.Google Scholar
Council of State Governments. 2005. The Book of the State, 2005. Vol. 37. Lexington, KY: Council of State Governments.Google Scholar
Dwyer, Paul E. 2004. “Salaries of Members of Congress: A List of Payable Rates and Effective Dates, 1789–2004.” CRS Report for Congress 97–1011 GOV.Google Scholar
Eliassen, Kjell A., and Pedersen, Mogens N.. 1978. “Professionalism of Legislatures: Long-term Change in Political Recruitment in Denmark and Norway.” Comparative Studies in Society and History 20:286–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Francis, Wayne L. 1985. “Costs and Benefits of Legislative Service in the American States.” American Journal of Political Science 29:626–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grumm, John G. 1971. “The Effects of Legislative Structure on Legislative Performance.” In State and Urban Politics, eds. Hofferbert, Richard I. and Sharkansky, Ira. Boston, MA: Little, Brown.Google Scholar
Hamm, Keith E., and Moncrief, Gary F.. 2004. “Legislative Politics in the States.” In Politics in the American States, eds. Gray, Virginia and Hanson, Russell L.. 8th ed. Washington, DC: CQ Press.Google Scholar
Ka, Sangjoon, and Teske, Paul. 2002. “Ideology and Professionalism—Electricity Regulation and Deregulation over Time in the American States.” American Politics Research 30:323–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kellough, J. E., and Selden, S. C.. 2003. “The Reinvention of Public Personnel Administration: An Analysis of the Diffusion of Personnel Management Reforms in the States.” Public Administration Review 63:165–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, Anthony. 1981. “The Rise of the Career Politician in Britain—And its Consequences.” British Journal of Political Science 11:249–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, James D. 2000. “Changes in Professionalism in U.S. State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 25:327–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kurtz, Karl T. 1992. “Understanding the Diversity of American State Legislatures.” Extension of Remarks (June):2–5.Google Scholar
Kurtz, Karl T., Moncrief, Gary, Niemi, Richard G., and Powell, Lynda W.. 2006. “Full-Time, Part-Time, and Real Time: Explaining State Legislators' Perceptions of Time on the Job.” State Politics and Policy Quarterly 6:322–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maddox, H. W. Jerome. 2004. “Opportunity Costs and Outside Careers in U.S. State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 29:517–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maestas, Cherie. 2003. “The Incentive to Listen: Progressive Ambition, Resources, and Opinion Monitoring among State Legislators.” Journal of Politics 65:439–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moncrief, Gary F. 1988. “Dimensions of the Concept of Professionalism in State Legislatures: A Research Note.” State and Local Government Review 20:128–32.Google Scholar
Moncrief, Gary F., Niemi, Richard G., and Powell, Lynda W.. 2004. “Time, Term Limits, and Turnover: Membership Stability in U.S. State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 29:357–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moncrief, Gary F., Thompson, Joel A., Haddon, Michael, and Hoyer, Robert. 1992. “For Whom the Bell Tolls: Term Limits and State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 17:37–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mooney, Christopher Z. 1994. “Measuring U.S. State Legislative Professionalism: An Evaluation of Five Indices.” State and Local Government Review 26:70–8.Google Scholar
Mooney, Christopher Z. 1995. “Citizens, Structures, and Sister States: Influences on State Legislative Professionalism.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 20:47–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morehouse, Sarah McCally. 1983. State Politics, Parties and Policy. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.Google Scholar
National Conference of State Legislatures. 2004. “Size of State Legislative Staff: 1979, 1988, 1996, and 2003.” http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legman/about/staffcount2003.htm (January 6, 2007).Google Scholar
Ornstein, Norman J., Mann, Thomas E., and Malbin, Michael J.. 2000. Vital Statistics on Congress, 1999–2000. Washington, DC: AEI.Google Scholar
Ornstein, Norman J., Mann, Thomas E., and Malbin, Michael J.. 2002. Vital Statistics on Congress, 2001–2002. Washington, DC: AEI.Google Scholar
Owings, Stephanie, and Borck, Rainald. 2000. “Legislative Professionalism and Government Spending: Do Citizen Legislators Really Spend Less?” Public Finance Review 28:210–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Polsby, Nelson W. 1975. “Legislatures.” In The Handbook of Political Science, eds. Greenstein, Fred I. and Polsby, Nelson W.. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.Google Scholar
Rosenthal, Alan. 1993. “The Legislative Institution: In Transition and at Risk.” In The State of the States, ed. Van Horn, Carl E.. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: CQ Press.Google Scholar
Rosenthal, Alan. 1996. “State Legislative Development: Observations from Three Perspectives.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 21:169–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saalfeld, Thomas. 1997. “Professionalisation of Parliamentary Roles in Germany: An Aggregate-Level Analysis.” In Members of Parliament in Western Europe: Roles and Behavior, eds. Müller, Wolfgang and Saalfeld, Thomas. London: Cass.Google Scholar
Squire, Peverill. 1988a. “Career Opportunities and Membership Stability in Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 13:65–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Squire, Peverill. 1988b. “Member Career Opportunities and the Internal Organization of Legislatures.” Journal of Politics 50:726–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Squire, Peverill. 1992a. “Legislative Professionalism and Membership Diversity in State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 17:69–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Squire, Peverill. 1992b. “The Theory of Legislative Institutionalization and the California Assembly.” Journal of Politics 54:1026–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Squire, Peverill. 1993. “Professionalism and Public Opinion of State Legislatures.” Journal of Politics 55:479–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Squire, Peverill. 1998. “Membership Turnover and the Efficient Processing of Legislation.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 23:23–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Squire, Peverill. 2000. “Uncontested Seats in State Legislative Elections.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 25:131–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Squire, Peverill. 2005. “The Contours of American Legislative Professionalism, 1910–2003.” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association, Oakland, CA.Google Scholar
Squire, Peverill. 2006. “The Professionalization of State Legislatures in the United States over the Last Century.” Presented at the 20th International Political Science Association World Congress, Fukuoka, Japan.Google Scholar
Squire, Peverill, and Hamm, Keith E.. 2005. 101 Chambers: Congress, State Legislatures and the Future of Legislative Studies. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press.Google Scholar
Thompson, Joel A., and Moncrief, Gary F.. 1992. “The Evolution of the State Legislature: Institutional Change and Legislative Careers.” In Changing Patterns in State Legislative Careers, eds. Moncrief, Gary F. and Thompson, Joel A.. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.Google Scholar