Constituency size and policy outcomes : an analysis of state legislatures and education spending

Advisors: Scot Schraufnagel.Committee members: Mitchell Pickerill; Brendon Swedlow.Constituency size has been trending upwards in the United States since the country's founding. This rise in constituency size has come in both the national and state legislatures. Generally, the rise has come from population growth, but in the last several decades it has also come about when states have decreased the sizes of their legislatures. This research looks at the effect of changing constituency size in state legislatures and the effect this has had on education policy. Specifically, the paper looks at four states that significantly decreased the size of their legislatures and the effect this has had on K-12 and higher education spending.M.A. (Master of Arts