Hard Times in America's Laboratory for Democracy: Wisconsin Legislative Politics 1966 and 2006

Abstract

This report analyzes roll-call votes and legislators? background characteristics to identify and assess recent changes in the behavior of the Wisconsin Legislature. In doing so, it develops an indicator of legislative behavior that can be used in other legislative settings to signal the need for investigation and reform. The author employs cluster analysis to graphically displays changes in the behavior of a political system of vital importance to the higher education enterprise.