Date of Award
6-1-1970
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Political Science & Public Administration
Abstract
This study is an attempt to ascertain the sources of legislation introduced during the Forty-first North Dakota Legislative Assembly in 1969. The purpose is to explore a new area of legislative behavior in an attempt to better understand the legislative process.
A questionnaire was mailed to all legislators in the 1969 session indicating those bills and resolutions of which they were the prime sponsor. The questionnaire was designed to elicit which of nine categories listed was the source of each particular piece of legislation. The data was coded and correlated with various variables such as political party, tenure, residency, leadership, occupation, and chairmanships.
The study indicates that North Dakota legislators tend to rely on their own ideas for their primary source of legislation. It also shows that bills which originate in the executive branch of state government have the highest pass- fail ratio in the legislature. A third point which became evident is that North Dakota legislators appear to be primarily ''trustees" in their role as lawmakers. Finally, the study presents evidence that several groups of legislators introduce significantly greater proportions of legislation than their numerical strength would seem to warrant.
Recommended Citation
Wright, Boyd L., "Sources of Legislation in the Forty-First Legislative Assembly of North Dakota (1969)" (1970). Theses and Dissertations. 3520.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/3520