The Evolution of American Legislatures
Colonies, Territories, and States, 1619-2009
Published on 30. January 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
450 pages
978-0-472-03583-0 (ISBN)
Description
The institutional development of American legislatures, beginning with the first colonial assembly of 1619, has been marked by continuity as well as change. Peverill Squire draws upon a wealth of primary sources to document this institutional history. Beginning with the ways in which colonial assemblies followed the precedents of British institutions, Squire traces the fundamental ways they evolved to become distinct. He next charts the formation of the first state legislatures and the Constitutional Congress, describes the creation of territorial and new state legislatures, and examines the institutionalization of state legislatures in the nineteenth century and their professionalization since 1900.
With his conclusion, Squire discusses the historical trajectory of American legislatures and suggests how they might further develop over the coming decades. While Squire's approach will appeal to historians, his focus on the evolution of rules, procedures, and standing committee systems, as well as member salaries, legislative sessions, staff, and facilities, will be valuable to political scientists and legislative scholars.
With his conclusion, Squire discusses the historical trajectory of American legislatures and suggests how they might further develop over the coming decades. While Squire's approach will appeal to historians, his focus on the evolution of rules, procedures, and standing committee systems, as well as member salaries, legislative sessions, staff, and facilities, will be valuable to political scientists and legislative scholars.
Reviews / Votes
"The Evolution of American Legislatures is a sweeping, fine-grained history of state legislative institutions. The book chronicles the beginnings of every state legislature in the United States, and examines theirmembership, leadership, rules, committee systems, salary structures, frequency of sessions, and staffing. This is a synthesis of the highest order."-Journal of American History -- Gerald Gamm, University of Rochester * Journal of American History * "Research on legislatures typically has been more concerned with national than sub-national assemblies. This book shows that study of subordinate assemblies can also contribute to our knowledge of institutional evolution."
-Journal of Legislative Studies -- DAVID M. OLSON * Journal of Legislative Studies * "This is a well-researched and carefully documented addition to the field of legislative studies, but just as important, Squire's book is highly readable and filled with great stories of legislative life and lore."
-APSA Legislative Studies Section -- Cindy Simon Rosenthal * APSA LSS Newsletter * "Historians, political scientists and serious legislative junkies will love this book. ... There is no other comparable scholarly work that looks at institutional change in American legislatures on such a grand scale. It is impressive in both its broad brush strokes and its convincing detail."
-Karl Kurtz, The Thicket at State Legislatures -- Karl Kurtz * The Thicket at State Legislatures * "Peverill Squire has producedan epic, ground-breaking tome onthe development of state legislatures over the past 400 years. There is no doubting the singular accomplishment of his documenting the lineage of legislative development in the states. This book has no real predecessor, and accordingly, will serve as an important reference work for at least a generation."
-Political Science Quarterly -- Christopher Z. Mooney * Political Science Quarterly * "The Evolution of American Legislatures is a gem. ... This daunting project is more in line with grand historical narratives rather than the far more narrowly tailored analysis found in much of the political science literature."
--Jeremy B. Johnson -- Jeremy B. Johnson * Perspectives on Politics *
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Ann Arbor
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
5 figures, 32 tables, 6 boxes
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-472-03583-0 (9780472035830)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Peverill Squire holds the Hicks and Martha Griffiths Chair in American Political Institutions at the University of Missouri.