Ghostwriting Legislation
Ghostwriting Legislation
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State legislators introduce more than 100,000 bills per year and the resulting statutes that become law govern every aspect of life and business in those states. But who exactly writes these laws? In Ghostwriting Legislation, Mary Kroeger delves into the central and often-overlooked role that interest groups, think tanks, companies, and bureaucrats play in writing state law. While legislators are not expected to draft and pass legislation without the input of outside actors, Kroeger argues that a democratic defect may arise if elected officials must rely substantially on non-legislators to craft high-quality bills. Ghostwriting Legislation explores the disconnect between legislative power and legislative capacity, providing key data and insights for those who care about democracy and the separation-of-power dynamics in state legislatures.
- Highlights the extensive involvement of bureaucrats in the legislative process
- Predicts which legislators and legislatures are more likely to rely on legislation from outsiders
- Utilizes oral histories to ground political theory and data in real accounts from state legislators
Reviews & endorsements
‘In a data rich study Mary Kroeger offers a groundbreaking analysis of when, why, and how state legislators rely on outsiders to write laws. Bureaucrats and interest groups gladly offer bills to be introduced and work to get them passed. A survey experiment shows the public’s disapproval of this practice.’ Virginia Gray, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
‘Legislators write laws, which bureaucracies then implement – or so the standard story goes. In this smart, incisive analysis, Kroeger convincingly demonstrates that in fact bureaucrats, along with other ‘outsiders’ like interest groups, play a crucial role in the development and writing of laws. Every scholar of policymaking in the US should read this book!’ Charles R. Shipan, University of Michigan
Product details
- Published: July 2026
- Format: Paperback
- ISBN: 9781009710107
- Length: 236 pages
- Dimensions: 229 × 152 mm
- Availability: Not yet published - available from July 2026
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. A Theory of the Interaction Between Legislator, Legislature, and Groups
- 3. Bring in the Bureaucrats
- 4. Legislating from the Outside in the Golden State
- 5. Prepackaged Policy: Model Bill Use in the Fifty US States
- 6. Complexity and Deliberation by Design
- 7. The Electoral Connection: Democratic Implications of Outsider Involvement
- 8. Conclusion: Democracy in the States.
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