Legislative Decision Making on Education Issues: A Qualitative Study

Authors

Kathy Canfield-Davis, University of IdahoFollow
Sachin Jain, University of IdahoFollow

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive, single case study was to provide knowledge and insight about state education policy-making, specifically, the process by which education-related bills pass through a legislature. This study was also designed to identify factors of influence shaping legislative decision-making as perceived by lawmakers and observers of the legislative process. Sources of evidence included interviews, direct observation, archival records, public records documentation, and tape recordings of committee meetings and Senate floor sessions. Results show that a bill's fate is subject to many planned and unplanned sequential steps, and to a collection of diverse personalities that drive the legislative process. Trust forms the foundation upon which other factors depend including bill sponsors, party leadership, lobbyists, fellow legislators, and constituents.

Keywords

Legislative Process, Decision-Making, and Education-Related Bills

Publication Date

5-1-2010

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2010.1166

Recommended APA Citation

Canfield-Davis, K., & Jain, S. (2010). Legislative Decision Making on Education Issues: A Qualitative Study. The Qualitative Report, 15(3), 600-629. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2010.1166