Meet our Faculty Affiliate: SoRelle Gaynor
The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is pleased to announce SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor as one of our newest faculty affiliates.| Center for Effective Lawmaking
Announcing the Release of the 103rd Illinois General Assembly State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is proud to announce the release of our State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) for the 103rd Illinois General Assembly (2023–2024). This initiative is part of our broader effort to measure the lawmaking effectiveness of individual […]| Center for Effective Lawmaking
The (Sometimes Untraceable) Origins of Policy Ideas in Congress: An Analysis of Seven Landmark Laws Research on lawmaking suggests legislative enactments are constructed in various ways. Although multiple approaches are documented in the literature, political scientists do not conclusively know which are used more often. In this paper published in Legislative Studies Quarterly – which was supported […]| Center for Effective Lawmaking
Announcing the Release of the 207th Pennsylvania General Assembly State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is proud to announce the release of our State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) for the 207th Pennsylvania General Assembly (2023–2024). This initiative is part of our broader effort to measure the lawmaking effectiveness of individual […]| Center for Effective Lawmaking
CEL on CNN’s Smerconish Monday, September 29, 2025 Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) Co-Director Alan Wiseman of Vanderbilt University was a guest on CNN’s Smerconish to discuss the published paper “On the Decline of Elite-Educated Republicans in Congress” and the educational divide in American politics. Professor Wiseman coauthored the paper with CEL Co-Director Craig Volden of […]| Center for Effective Lawmaking
Meet our Research Affiliate: Kisoo Kim The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is excited to announce our newest research affiliate, Kisoo Kim. Dr. Kim is a postdoctoral research associate at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. His research examines how elections and political information hold representatives accountable […]| Center for Effective Lawmaking
The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is pleased to announce SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor as one of our newest faculty affiliates.| Center for Effective Lawmaking
Discussing Effective Lawmaking with Nevada Speaker Jason Frierson Speaker Jason Frierson has had an expansive career in public service, including his roles as a state legislator, a federal prosecutor, and as a committed advocate for community engagement. A Democrat, Speaker Frierson served in the Nevada Assembly from 2011 to 2014 and again from 2016 to […]| Center for Effective Lawmaking
CEL on The Smerconish Podcast Monday, September 15, 2025 Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) Co-Director Alan Wiseman of Vanderbilt University was a recent guest on The Smerconish Podcast to talk with host Michael Smerconish about the published paper “On the Decline of Elite-Educated Republicans in Congress” and the educational divide in American politics. Professor Wiseman […]| Center for Effective Lawmaking
Meet our Faculty Affiliate: Steven Rogers The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is pleased to announce Steven Rogers as one of our newest faculty affiliates. Steven Rogers is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Saint Louis University. His research focuses on elections and representation in American politics, particularly at the state level. His recent […]| Center for Effective Lawmaking
Provins is an Assistant Professor in the School of Government and Public Policy at the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on American legislative institutions, with particular attention to how the design of legislative rules and procedures shapes lawmaking and representation. She examines how institutional features—including committee referral practices, debate rules, and party control of the agenda—affect the ability of legislatures to produce laws and how these outcomes vary ac...| Center for Effective Lawmaking
Transcript as follows:| Center for Effective Lawmaking
The Center for Effective Lawmaking seeks to advance the generation, communication, and use of new knowledge about the effectiveness of individual lawmakers and U.S. legislative institutions. We envision American legislatures comprised of effective lawmakers, strong institutional capacity, and the incentive structure needed to address America’s greatest public policy challenges.| thelawmakers.org
Coming in as the second-most effective lawmaker was Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, who chaired the House Transportation Committee. He sponsored 48 bills, with nearly half of them (unsurprisingly) being related to issues of transportation and infrastructure, ranging from pay for the Coast Guard to earthquake preparedness to aircraft certification. While ten of his bills passed the House, and his language was incorporated in other bills that became law, only one of Rep. DeFazio’s bills dir...| Center for Effective Lawmaking
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Coming in as the second-most effective lawmaker was Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York, who chaired the House Oversight and Reform Committee. She sponsored 92 bills, with more than a third of them (unsurprisingly) being related to issues of government operations, ranging from whistleblower protections to the administration of the U.S. census. While eight of her bills passed the House, and the language in one of her bills was incorporated into the National Defense Authorization Act, only two of ...| Center for Effective Lawmaking
