Evaluating Changes In Florida\u27S Legislative Process: Innovative Rules And Conservative Norms

During the past decade many state legislatures have undergone reform in an attempt to become more efficient, open, representative and fair, but relatively little research has been done to evaluate these changes. When Republicans took control of the Florida House in 1997, they reorganized the legislature, changed many formal rules, and fostered a new informal norm related to passing laws. The major stated goal of the new formal rules is to “flatten the pyramid of power” and allow all “good ideas” to be heard while fostering a conservative norm. To evaluate the rule changes, a survey of Florida House members concerning rule satisfaction is analyzed, regressions of bill passage rates for 1995 and 1997 are compared, and several other rule effects are examined. Overall the rules receive support although rule satisfaction is lower among Democrats and liberals. The major goal is realized to some degree when comparing the determinants of individual legislative passage rates. Analysis also suggests that a conservative norm is established, the end-of-session logjam is reduced, and legislative trains are derailed. © 2002 Policy Studies Organization