Organized Section Awards (Section 3)
More on the Legislative Studies section
Alan Rosenthal Prize
Carl Albert Dissertation Award
CQ Press Award
Jewell-Loewenberg Paper Award
Richard F. Fenno Prize
Barbara Sinclair Legacy Award
Emerging Scholar Award
Alan Rosenthal Prize
In the spirit of Alan Rosenthal’s work, this prize is dedicated to encouraging young scholars to study questions that are of importance to legislators and legislative staff and to conduct research that has the potential application to strengthening the practice of representative democracy.
| 2025 | Pamela Ban, University of California, San Diego Ju Yeon Park, Ohio State University Hye Young You, Princeton University Hearings on the Hill: The Politics of Informing Congress. Cambridge University Press, 2024. |
| 2024 | Melinda Ritchie, Ohio State University Backdoor Lawmaking: Evading Obstacles in the US Congress. Oxford University Press, 2023. |
| 2023 | Christian Grose, University of Southern California “Social Lobbying.” The Journal of Politics 84(1):367—382. January 2022. |
| 2023 | Pamela Lopez, K Street Consulting “Social Lobbying.” The Journal of Politics 84(1):367—382. January 2022. |
| 2023 | Sara Sadhwani, Pomona College “Social Lobbying.” The Journal of Politics 84(1):367—382. January 2022. |
| 2023 | Antoine Yoshinaka, State University of New York at Buffalo “Social Lobbying.” The Journal of Politics 84(1):367—382. January 2022. |
| 2022 | Sharece Thrower, Vanderbilt University Checks in the Balance: Legislative Capacity and the Dynamics of Executive Power, Princeton University Press, 2021. |
| 2022 | Alexander Bolton, Emory University Checks in the Balance: Legislative Capacity and the Dynamics of Executive Power, Princeton University Press, 2021. |
| 2021 | Leah Stokes, University of California, Santa Barbara |
| 2020 | Christopher J. Clark, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gaining Voice: The Causes and Consequences of Black Representation in the American States. Oxford University Press, 2019. |
| 2019 | Kristin Wylie , James Madison University Party Institutionalization and Women’s Representation in Democratic Brazil. Cambridge University Press, 2018. |
| 2018 | Ruth Bloch Rubin, University of Chicago Building the Bloc: Intrapraty Organization in the US Congress. Cambridge University Press, 2017. |
| 2017 | Tiffany D. Barnes, University of Kentucky Gendering Legislative Behavior. Cambridge University Press, 2016. |
| 2016 | James M. Curry, University of Utah Legislating in the Dark. University of Chicago Press, 2015. |
| 2014 | Nicholas Carnes, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University White-Collar Government: The Hidden Role of Class in Economic Policy Making. University of Chicago Press, 2013 |
| 2013 | Kristin Kanthak, University of Pittsburgh The Diversity Paradox: Political Parties, Legislatures, and the Organizational Foundations of Representation in America (Oxford University Press) |
| 2013 | George Krause, University of Pittsburgh The Diversity Paradox: Political Parties, Legislatures, and the Organizational Foundations of Representation in America (Oxford University Press) |
| 2012 | Vineeta Yadav, Pennsylvania State University Political Parties, Business Groups, and Corruption in Developing Countries (Oxford University Press, 2011) |
| 2011 | Kristina Miler, University of Maryland, College Park Constituency Representation in Congress |
| 2010 | David Parker, Montana State University “Making a Good Impression: Resource Allocation, Home Styles and Washington Work.” |
| 2010 | Craig Goodman, Texas Tech University “Making a Good Impression: Resource Allocation, Home Styles and Washington Work” |
| 2009 | Christopher Berry, University of Chicago “Piling On: Multilevel Government and the Fiscal Common Pool,”’ American Journal of Political Science, October 2008 |
| 2008 | David Primo, University of Rochester Rules and Restraint: Government Spending and the Design of Institutions, University of Chicago Press. |
| 2007 | Nancy Martorano Miller, University of Dayton Balancing Power: Committee System Autonomy and Legislative Organization |
| 2006 | Tracy Sulkin, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Issue Politics in Congress (Cambridge University Press, 2005) |
| 2005 | Thad Kousser, University of California, San Diego Term Limits and the Dismantling of State Legislative Professionalism (Cambridge University Press) |
| 2004 | Yusaku Horiuchi, The Australian National University “Reapportionment and Redistribution: Consequences of Electoral Reform in Japan” (American Journal of Political Science, October 2003) |
| 2004 | Jun Saito, Yale University The Australian National University, “Reapportionment and Redistribution: Consequences of Electoral Reform in Japan” (American Journal of Political Science, October 2003) |
| 2003 | Scott Adler, University of Colorado-Boulder “Why Congressional Reforms Fall: Reelection and the House Committee System” (University of Chicago Press, 2002) |
Carl Albert Dissertation Award
The Carl Albert Dissertation Award is given annually for the best dissertation in legislative studies. Topics may be national or subnational in focus-on Congress, parliaments, state legislatures, or other representative bodies.
| 2025 | Rob Oldham, Agnes Scott College “Congress in Crisis: Lawmaking Under Pressure.” |
| 2024 | Eric Michael Manning, Princeton University “Essays on Modern Campaign Financing in the United States.” |
| 2023 | Lucia Motolinia Carballo, Washington University in St. Louis “Trading Pork for Unity: How Parties Respond to Electoral Reforms in Party-Centered Systems.” New York University, 2022. |
| 2022 | Michael Kistner, University of Houston “Fundraising for the Caucus: Money, Party Politics, and Policymaking in American Legislatures.” Princeton University, 2021. |
| 2020 | Lior Sheffer, Tel Aviv University Behavioural Foundations of Elite Politics: How Individual-Level Characteristics Shape the Decision Making of Elected Politicians. University of Toronto. |
| 2019 | Nara Park, University of Chicago “The Nature of Japanese Governance: Seikai-Tensin (政界転身)’s Political Success in Postwar Japan, 1947-2014.” PhD diss., University of Chicago |
| 2018 | Alison W. Craig, University of Texas at Austin “Crafting a Broad Appeal: Congressional Audiences and Policy Collaboration in the Modern Legislature.” Ohio State University. |
| 2017 | Michelle Whyman, Duke University “The Roots of Legislative Durability: How Information, Deliberation, and Compromise Create Laws that Last.” University of Texas at Austin. |
| 2016 | Molly E. Reynolds, Brookings Institution “Exceptions to the Rule: Majoritarian Procedures and Majority Party Power in the U.S. Senate.” University of Michigan, 2015. |
| 2014 | Eitan Tzelgov, Pennsylvania State University “Words as Weapons: Opposition Rhetoric and Partisan Strategy.” |
| 2014 | Honorable Mention David Willumsen, European University Institute – Florence “Party, Preferences & Pragmatic Fidelity: Explaining Voting Unity in European Legislatures.” |
| 2013 | Nicholas Carnes, Duke University “By the Upper Class, For the Upper Class? Representational Inequality and Economic Policymaking in the United States” |
| 2012 | James Curry, University of Utah Information Control: Leadership Power in the U.S. House of Representatives (Completed at University of Maryland; advised by Frances E. Lee) |
| 2011 | Amber Wichowsky, Yale University “The Competition Cure? The Consequences of Completive Congressional Elections” |
| 2010 | Patrick Egan, New York University “Issue Ownership and Representation in American Politics” |
| 2009 | Tom Clark, Princeton University “The Politics of Judicial Independence: Court Curbing and the Separation of Powers” |
| 2006 | Kathryn Pearson, University of California, Berkeley “Party Discipline in the Contemporary Congress: Rewarding Loyalty in Theory and Practice” |
| 2005 | Robert Van Houweling, Harvard University “Legislators’ Personal Policy Preferences and Partisan Legislative Organization” |
| 2005 | Gail McElroy, Trinity College “In Pursuit of Party Discipline: Committees and Cohesion in the European Parliament” |
| 2004 | Christian Grose, University of Rochester “Beyond the Vote: A Theory of Black Representation in Congress” (Supervisor: Harold Stanley) |
| 2002 | Deborah Brooks, Yale University “When Candidates Attack: The Effects of negative Campaigning on Voter Turnout in Senate Elections” |
| 2001 | Michele Swers, Harvard University “From the Year of the Woman to the Republican Ascendency: Evaluating the Policy Impact of Women in Congress” |
CQ Press Award
The CQ Press Award for the best paper on legislative studies presented at the previous year’s APSA Annual Meeting.
| 2025 | Sarah E. Anderson, University of California, Santa Barbara Daniel Butler, Washington University in St. Louis Laurel Harbridge-Yong, Northwestern University “The Primary Premium: Why Legislators are Incentivized to Side with Primary Voters over General Election Voters.” |
| 2024 | Alexander Trubowitz, Yale University “Electoral Rules, Programmatic Competition, and Redistribution: Evidence from Interwar France.” |
| 2024 | Isabela Mares, Yale University “Electoral Rules, Programmatic Competition, and Redistribution: Evidence from Interwar France.” |
| 2023 | Ari Ray, University of Geneva “When Identity Trumps Class: Women, Workers, and Statistical Representation in Legislative Politics.” Presented at the 2022 APSA Annual Meeting. |
| 2022 | Pamela Ban, University of California, San Diego “How Are Politicians Informed? Witnesses and Information Provision in Congress,” Presented at APSA Annual Meeting, 2021. |
| 2022 | Ju Yeon Park, University of Essex “How Are Politicians Informed? Witnesses and Information Provision in Congress,” Presented at APSA Annual Meeting, 2021. |
| 2022 | Hye Young You, New York University “How Are Politicians Informed? Witnesses and Information Provision in Congress,” Presented at APSA Annual Meeting, 2021. |
| 2021 | Mandi Eatough, University of Michigan “Toward a Fuller Accounting of Lawmaking: The Lawmaking Productivity Metric (LawProM).” Paper presented at the 2019 APSA Annual Meeting. |
| 2021 | Jessica Preece, Brigham Young University “Toward a Fuller Accounting of Lawmaking: The Lawmaking Productivity Metric (LawProM).” Paper presented at the 2019 APSA Annual Meeting. |
| 2020 | Oliver Huwyler, University of Basel No Representation without Compensation: The Effect of Interest Groups on Legislators’ Policy Area Focus. Paper presented at the 2019 APSA Annual Meeting. |
| 2020 | Tomas Turner-Zwinkels, University of Basel No Representation without Compensation: The Effect of Interest Groups on Legislators’ Policy Area Focus. Paper presented at the 2019 APSA Annual Meeting. |
| 2020 | Stefanie Bailer, University of Basel No Representation without Compensation: The Effect of Interest Groups on Legislators’ Policy Area Focus. Paper presented at the 2019 APSA Annual Meeting. |
| 2019 | Andreu Casas, New York University “More Effective Than We Thought: Accounting for Legislative Hitchhikers Reveals a More Inclusive and Productive Lawmaking Process.” Unpublished manuscript, presented at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, 2018. |
| 2019 | Matthew J. Denny, Facebook Washington DC “More Effective Than We Thought: Accounting for Legislative Hitchhikers Reveals a More Inclusive and Productive Lawmaking Process.” Unpublished manuscript, presented at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, 2018. |
| 2019 | John Wilkerson, University of Washington “More Effective Than We Thought: Accounting for Legislative Hitchhikers Reveals a More Inclusive and Productive Lawmaking Process.” Unpublished manuscript, presented at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, 2018. |
| 2018 | Olle Folke, Uppsala University “The ballot rank hierarchy and the irrelevance if marginal seats: Party nomination strategies in closed and flexible PR.” |
| 2018 | Johanna Rickne, Stockholm University “The ballot rank hierarchy and the irrelevance if marginal seats: Party nomination strategies in closed and flexible PR.” |
| 2016 | Boris Shor, Georgetown University “Unequal Incomes, Ideology and Gridlock: How Rising Inequality Increases Political Polarization.” |
| 2016 | Nolan McCarty, Princeton University “Unequal Incomes, Ideology and Gridlock: How Rising Inequality Increases Political Polarization.” |
| 2016 | John Voorheis, University of Oregon “Unequal Incomes, Ideology and Gridlock: How Rising Inequality Increases Political Polarization.” |
| 2014 | Jeffery Jenkins, University of Virginia “On Measuring Legislative Agenda Setting Power” |
| 2014 | Nathan Monroe, University of California, Merced “On Measuring Legislative Agenda Setting Power” |
| 2013 | Charles Finocchiaro, University of South Carolina “From Wild Horses to Work Horses: Electoral System Reform and Legislative Entrepreneurship in the House of Representatives.” |
| 2013 | Scott MacKenzie, University of California, Davis “From Wild Horses to Work Horses: Electoral System Reform and Legislative Entrepreneurship in the House of Representatives.” |
| 2012 | Michael Brady, Denison University An Indelible Imprint? Assessing the Evolution of Racial Politics in Shaping Conflict in Congress during the Civil Rights Era |
| 2012 | Daniel Lee, Michigan State University An Indelible Imprint? Assessing the Evolution of Racial Politics in Shaping Conflict in Congress during the Civil Rights Era |
| 2012 | Eric Gonzalez Juenke, Michigan State University An Indelible Imprint? Assessing the Evolution of Racial Politics in Shaping Conflict in Congress during the Civil Rights Era |
| 2011 | Sean Theriault, University of Texas, Austin “The Gingrich Senators and Their Effect on the U.S. Senate” |
| 2011 | David Rohde, Duke University “The Gingrich Senators and Their Effect on the U.S. Senate” |
| 2010 | Christian Grose, Vanderbilt University “Priming Rationality: A Theory and Field Experiment of Participation in Legislatures.” |
| 2009 | Alexander Hirsch, Stanford University Policy R&D and Legislative Organization |
| 2009 | Kenneth Shotts, Stanford University Policy R&D and Legislative Organization |
| 2006 | R. Brian Law, University of California, Los Angeles “Declining Fortunes: Institutional Change and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 1947-2002” |
| 2006 | Linda Fowler, Dartmouth College “Declining Fortunes: Institutional Change and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 1947-2002” |
| 2005 | Tracy Sulkin, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign “Legislative Responsiveness to Campaign Challenges” |
| 2004 | Samuel Kernell, University of California, San Diego “To Stay, To Quit, or To Move Up: Explaining the Growth of Careerism in the House of Representatives, 1878-1940” |
| 2003 | Eric Schickler, University of California at Berkeley “Where’s the Pivot? Obstruction and Lawmaking in the Pre-Cloture Senate” |
| 2003 | Gregory Wawro, Columbia University “Where’s the Pivot? Obstruction and Lawmaking in the Pre- Cloture Senate” |
| 2002 | Kathryn Pearson, University of California-Berkeley Legislating in Women’s Interests? Congresswomen in the 106th Congress |
| 2001 | C. Lawrence Evans, College of William and Mary “Message Politics: Party Campaigning and Legislative Strategy in Congress” |
| 2000 | David Brady, Stanford University “Strong Parties Revisited, 1870-1930” |
| 2000 | Kara Buckley, Stanford University “Strong Parties Revisited, 1870-1930” |
| 2000 | Douglas Rivers, Stanford University “Strong Parties Revisited, 1870-1930” |
| 1999 | Sarah Binder, The Brookings Institution “Dynamics of Legislative Gridlock” |
| 1998 | Eric Lawrence, Tulane University “Participation in American Politics: The Dynamics of Agenda Building” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1983) |
| 1997 | Gary Cox, University of California-San Diego |
| 1997 | Jonathan Katz, California Institute of Technology “Incumbency Advantage in U.S. Senate Elections” |
| 1996 | John Hibbing, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Congress as Public Enemy (Cambridge University Press, 1995) |
| 1995 | David Brady, Stanford University Co-Authored with Kara Z. Buckley, Stanford University and Douglas Rivers, Stanford University “The Roots of Careerism in the House of Representatives” |
| 1995 | Kara Buckley, Stanford University “The Roots of Careerism in the House of Representatives” |
| 1995 | Douglas Rivers, Stanford University “The Roots of Careerism in the House of Representatives” |
| 1994 | Elizabeth Theiss-Morse, University of Nebraska, Lincoln “Public Enemy: People’s Perception of Congress” |
| 1994 | John Hibbing, University of Nebraska-Lincoln “Public Enemy: People’s Perception of Congress” |
| 1993 | Elisabeth Gerber, California Institute of Technology “Preference Aggregation and the Effects of Institutions: Comparing Legislative and Direct Ballot Outcomes” |
| 1992 | Barbara Sinclair, University of California, Riverside “The Emergence of Strong Leadership in the 1980’s House of Representatives” |
| 1991 | Gary Jacobson, University of California, San Diego “The Persistence of House Democratic Majorities: Structure or Politics?” |
| 1990 | Richard Smith, Carnegie-Mellon University “Interpretation, Pressure and the Stability of Interest Group Influence in the U.S. Congress” |
| 1988 | John Hibbing, University of Nebraska-Lincoln “Responsiveness in the Senate” |
| 1988 | John Alford, Rice University “Responsiveness in the Senate” |
Jewell-Loewenberg Paper Award
The Jewell-Loewenberg Paper Award for the best article in the Legislative Studies Quarterly in the previous year.
| 2025 | Subnational Politics Rob Oldham, Agnes Scott College “Partisan Governance and Minority Party Vetoes: Evidence from State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 49(3): 617-648. 2024. |
| 2025 | Comparative Politics Lotte Hargrave, University of Manchester “Earning Their Stripes? How Political Experience Shapes Gendered Policy Prioritization.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 49(3): 429-454. 2024. |
| 2025 | American Politics Ayse Eldes, Princeton University Christian Fong, University of Michigan Kenneth Lowande, University of Michigan “Information and Confrontation in Legislative Oversight.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 49(2): 227-256. 2023. |
| 2024 | Subnational Politics Pablo Fernandez-Vazquez, Carlos III University “Does Electing Women Reduce Corruption? A Regression Discontinuity Approach.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 48(4): 731-763. 2023. |
| 2024 | Subnational Politics Miguel M. Pereira, London School of Economics “Does Electing Women Reduce Corruption? A Regression Discontinuity Approach.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 48(4): 731-763. 2023. |
| 2024 | Comparative Politics Rabia Malik, University of Essex “Lesser of Two Evils: Allocating Resources to Opposition Districts in Pakistan.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 48(2): 241-271. 2023. |
| 2024 | American Politics Emily Ommundsen, University of Mississippi “The Institution’s Knowledge: Congressional Staff Experience and Committee Productivity.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 48(2): 273-303. 2023. |
| 2023 | American Politics David Miller, East Tennessee State University “On Whose Door to Knock? Organized Interests’ Strategic Pursuit of Access to Members of Congress.” Legislative Studies Quarterly, 2022. |
| 2023 | Comparative Politics Maria Thurk, University of Basel “Small in Size but Powerful in Parliament? The Legislative Performance of Minority Governments.” Legislative Studies Quarterly, 2022. |
| 2023 | Subnational Politics Mary Kroeger, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill “Bureaucrats as Lawmakers.” Legislative Studies Quarterly, 2022. |
| 2022 | Subnational Politics Sebastian Thieme, University of Toulouse Capitole, Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse “A Direct Test of Legislative Gatekeeping,” Legislative Studies Quarterly, 2021. |
| 2022 | Comparative Politics Mariana Llanos, University of Erfurt “Oversight or Representation? Public Opinion and Impeachment Resolutions in Argentina and Brazil,” Legislative Studies Quarterly, 2021. |
| 2022 | Comparative Politics Anibal Perez-Linan, University of Notre Dame “Oversight or Representation? Public Opinion and Impeachment Resolutions in Argentina and Brazil,” Legislative Studies Quarterly, 2021. |
| 2022 | American Politics Andrew O. Ballard, American University “Be Careful What You Wish For: The Impacts of President Trump’s Midterm Endorsements,” Legislative Studies Quarterly, 2021. |
| 2022 | American Politics Hans J.G. Hassell, Florida State University &ldqu |
| 2021 | Josh M. Ryan (Utah State University) for “Bicameralism and Minority-Party Influence on Legislative Development: Evidence from House Standing Committee Votes,” published in Legislative Studies Quarterly, Vol. 45, Issue 3, Pages 365-396. Raffaele Asquer (University of California Los Angeles), Miriam A. Golden (European University Institute), and Brian T. Hamel (University of California Los Angeles) for “Corruption, Party Leaders, and Candidate Selection: Evidence from Italy,” published in Legislative Studies Quarterly, Vol. 45, Issue 2, Pages 291-325. Michael Peress (State University of New York, Stony Brook) and Yangzi Zhao (State University of New York, Stony Brook) for “How Many Seats in Congress Is Control of Redistricting Worth?,” published in Legislative Studies Quarterly, Vol. 45, Issue 3, Pages 433-468. |
| 2020 | Melinda Ritchie (University of California Riverside), and Hye Young You (New York University) for “Legislators as Lobbyists,” published in Legislative Studies Quarterly, Vol. 44, Issue 1, Pages 65-95. Mathias Wessel Tromborg (Arhaus University ), and Leslie A. Schwindt-Bayer (Rice University) for “Constituent Demand and District-Focus Legislative Representation,” published in Legislative Studies Quarterly, Vol. 44, Issue 1, Pages 35-64. Michael Barber (Brigham Young University), Alexander Bolton (Emory University), and Sharece Thrower (Vanderbilt University) for “Legislative Constraints on Executive Unilateralism in Separation of Powers Systems,” published in Legislative Studies Quarterly, Vol. 44, Issue 3, Pages 515-548. |
| 2019 | Adam Zelizer, Harris School of Public Policy at The University of Chicago for “How Responsive are Legislators to Policy Information: Evidence from a Field Experiment in a State Legislature,” published in Legislative Studies Quarterly 2018 Vol. 43, Issue 4. |
| 2018 | Sarah Anzia, University of California “Polarization and Policy: The Politics of Public-Sector Pensions.” Legislative Studies Quarterly Terry Moe, Stanford University “Polarization and Policy: The Politics of Public-Sector Pensions.” Legislative Studies Quarterly |
| 2017 | Gabriel Lenz, University of California, Berkeley “Do Open Primaries Improve Representation? An Experimental Test of California’s 2012 Top-Two Primary.” Legislative Studies Quarterly Jack Citrin, University of California, Berkeley “Do Open Primaries Improve Representation? An Experimental Test of California’s 2012 Top-Two Primary.” Legislative Studies Quarterly |
| 2016 | Anand Edward Sokhey, University of Colorado at Boulder “Examining Legislative Cue-Taking in the US Senate.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 40(2015):13-53. Josh M. Ryan, Utah State University “Examining Legislative Cue-Taking in the US Senate.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 40(2015):13-53. Janet Box-Steffensmeier, Ohio State University “Examining Legislative Cue-Taking in the US Senate.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 40(2015):13-53. |
| 2014 | William Bernhard, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign “Commitment and Consequences: Reneging on Cosponsorship Pledges in the U.S. House.” Tracy Sulkin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign “Commitment and Consequences: Reneging on Cosponsorship Pledges in the U.S. House.” |
| 2013 | Regina Branton, University of North Texas “Race, Ethnicity, and U.S. House Incumbent Evaluations” (November 2012 issue) Erin Cassese, West Virginia University “Race, Ethnicity, and U.S. House Incumbent Evaluations” (November 2012 issue) Bradford Jones, University of California, Davis “Race, Ethnicity, and U.S. House Incumbent Evaluations” (November 2012 issue) |
| 2012 | Rene Lindstadt, University of Essex Balancing Competing Demands: Position Taking and Election Proximity and the European Parliament (Legislative Studies Quarterly 36, February 2011) Jonathan Slapin, University of Houston Balancing Competing Demands: Position Taking and Election Proximity and the European Parliament (Legislative Studies Quarterly 36, February 2011) Ryan Vander Wielen, Temple University Balancing Competing Demands: Position Taking and Election Proximity and the European Parliament (Legislative Studies Quarterly 36, February 2011) |
| 2011 | Matthew Levendusky, University of Pennsylvania “Measuring Aggregate-Level Ideological Heterogeneity” Jeremy Pope, Brigham Young University “Measuring Aggregate-Level Ideological Heterogeneity” |
| 2010 | Sebastian Saiegh, University of California, San Diego “Recovering a Basic Space from Elite Surveys: Evidence from Latin America,” |
| 2009 | Neil Malhotra, Stanford University “Disentangling the Relationship between Legislative Professionalism and Government Spending” Legislative Studies Quarterly, August 2008 |
| 2007 | John Griffin, University of Notre Dame Senate Apportionment as a Source of Political Inequality |
| 2006 | James Druckman, Northwestern University “Influence Without Confidence: Upper Chambers and Government Formation,” Legislative Studies Quarterly 30 (4): 529-48 Lanny Martin, Rice University “Influence Without Confidence: Upper Chambers and Government Formation,” Legislative Studies Quarterly 30 (4): 529-48 Michael Thies, University of California, Los Angeles “Influence Without Confidence: Upper Chambers and Government Formation,” Legislative Studies Quarterly 30 (4): 529-48 |
| 2005 | Sarah Binder, George Washington University “The Limits of Senatorial Courtesy” |
| 2004 | “The Inefficient Secret Revisited: The Legislative Input and Output of Brazilian Deputies,” by Octavio Amorim Neto, Brazilian Institute of Economics Getulio Vargas Foundation, and Fabiano Santos, Rio de Janeiro Graduate Research Institute (LSQ 28: 449-79) |
| 2003 | Seats that May Not Matter: Testing for Racial Polarization in U.S. City Councils” by Rory Allan Austin, George Washington University (LSQ 27: 481-508) |
| 2002 | “The Effects of Party and Preferences on Congressional Roll Call Voting” by Stephen Ansolabehere, James M. Snyder Jr., and Charles Stewart III, all from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (LSQ 26: 533-72) |
| 2001 | “Constituency Influence in Congress: Does Subconstituency Matter” by Benjamin Bishin, University of California at Los Angeles (LSQ 25: 389-415) |
Richard F. Fenno Prize
In the tradition of Professor Fenno’s work, this prize is designed to honor work that is both theoretically and empirically strong. Moreover, this prize is dedicated to encouraging scholars to pursue new and different avenues of research in order to find answers to previously unexplored questions about the nature of politics.
| 2025 | Nathan F. Batto, Academia Sinica Emily Beaulieu, University of Kentucky Making Punches Count: The Individual Logic of Legislative Brawls. Oxford University Press, 2024. |
| 2024 | Tiffany D. Barnes, University of Kentucky Working Class Inclusion: Evaluations of Democratic Institutions in Latin America. Cambridge University Press, 2023. Yann P. Kerevel, Louisiana State University Working Class Inclusion: Evaluations of Democratic Institutions in Latin America. Cambridge University Press, 2023. Gregory W. Saxton, Texas Tech University Working Class Inclusion: Evaluations of Democratic Institutions in Latin America. Cambridge University Press, 2023. |
| 2023 | LaGina Gause, University of California, San Diego The Advantage of Disadvantage: Costly Protest and Political Representation for Marginalized Groups. (Cambridge University Press, 2022). |
| 2022 | Christian Dyogi Phillips, University of Southern California Nowhere to Run: Race, Gender, and Immigration in American Elections. (Oxford University Press, 2021) |
| 2021 | Beth Reingold, Emory University Race, Gender, & Political Representation: Toward A More Intersectional Approach (Oxford University, 2020). Kerry L. Haynie, Duke University Race, Gender, & Political Representation: Toward A More Intersectional Approach (Oxford University, 2020). Kirsten Widner, University of Tennessee Race, Gender, & Political Representation: Toward A More Intersectional Approach (Oxford University, 2020). |
| 2020 | Bryan D. Jones, University of Texas, Austin The Great Broadening: How the Vast Expansion of the Policymaking Agenda Transformed American Politics (University of Chicago Press, 2019). Sean M. Theriault, University of Texas, Austin The Great Broadening: How the Vast Expansion of the Policymaking Agenda Transformed American Politics (University of Chicago Press, 2019). Michelle Whyman, Florida State University The Great Broadening: How the Vast Expansion of the Policymaking Agenda Transformed American Politics (University of Chicago Press, 2019). |
| 2019 | C. Lawrence Evans, College of William & Mary The Whips: Building Party Coalitions in Congress (University of Michigan Press 2018) |
| 2018 | Sarah A. Binder, George Washington University/Brookings Institute “The Myth of Independence: How Congress Governs the Federal Reserve.” Princeton University Press, 2017 Mark Spindel, Potomac River Capital, LLC “The Myth of Independence: How Congress Governs the Federal Reserve.” Princeton University Press, 2017. |
| 2017 | Douglas L. Kriner, Brown University Investigating the President: Congressional Checks on Presidential Power. Princeton University Press, 2016. Eric Schickler, University of California, Berkeley Investigating the President: Congressional Checks on Presidential Power. Princeton University Press, 2016. |
| 2016 | Sven-Oliver Proksch, McGill University The Politics of Parliamentary Debate: Parties, Rebels and Representation. Cambridge University Press, 2015 Jonathan B. Slapin, University of Essex The Politics of Parliamentary Debate: Parties, Rebels and Representation. Cambridge University Press, 2015 |
| 2015 | Craig Volden, University of Virginia Legislative Effectiveness in the US Congress. Cambridge University Press, 2014 Alan E. Wiseman, Vanderbilt University Legislative Effectiveness in the US Congress. Cambridge University Press, 2014 |
| 2014 | Justin Grimmer, Stanford University Representational Style in Congress: What Legislators Say and Why It Matters. Cambridge University Press, 2013 |
| 2013 | Lynda Powell, University of Rochester The Influence of Campaign Contributions in State Legislatures (University of Michigan Press) |
| 2012 | Lanny Martin, Rice University Parliaments and Coalitions: The Role of Legislative Institutions in Multiparty Governance (Oxford University Press, 2011) Georg Vanberg, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Parliaments and Coalitions: The Role of Legislative Institutions in Multiparty Governance (Oxford University Press, 2011) |
| 2011 | Gregory Koger, University of Miami Filibustering: A Political History of Obstruction in the House and Senate |
| 2010 | Frances Lee, University of Maryland-College Park Beyond Ideology: Politics, Principles, and Partisanship in the U.S. Senate |
| 2009 | Damon Cann, Utah State University Sharing the Wealth: Member Contributions and the Exchange Theory fo Party Influence in the US House of Representatives (SUNY Press, 2008) |
| 2007 | Gregory Wawro, Columbia University Filibuster: Obstruction and Lawmaking in the U.S. Senate Eric Schickler, University of California, Berkeley Filibuster: Obstruction and Lawmaking in the U.S. Senate |
| 2006 | Tracy Sulkin, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Issue Politics in Congress (Cambridge University Press, 2005) |
| 2005 | Diana Evans, Trinity College Greasing the Wheels: Using Pork Barrel Projects To Build Majority Coalitions in Congress (Cambridge University Press). |
| 2004 | David Brady, Stanford University Critical Elections and National Policymaking (Stanford University Press) Sarah Binder, George Washington University Stalemate: Causes and Consequences of Legislative Gridlock (Brookings Institution Press |
| 2003 | John Huber, Columbia University Co-Authored with Charles R. Shipan, University of Iowa Deliberate Discretion?: The Institutional Foundations of Bureaucratic Autonomy (Cambridge University Press, 2002) Charles Shipan, University of Iowa Deliberate Discretion?: The Institutional Foundations of Bureaucratic Autonomy (Cambridge University Press, 2002) |
| 2002 | Eric Schickler, University of California at Berkeley Disjointed Pluralism: Institutional Innovation and Developmentof the U.S. Congress (Princeton University Press, 2001) |
Barbara Sinclair Legacy Award
The Barbara Sinclair Legacy Award is new LSS award designed to honor the work of a scholar or set of scholars who have contributed a lifetime of significant scholarship to the study of legislative politics. In the tradition of Professor Sinclair’s body of work, recipients of this award will have focused on individual legislative behavior, institutional rules, or the role of party in shaping legislative politics. This award is also intended to recognize scholars who employ a range of methods in their research.
| 2025 | Gary Cox, Stanford University |
| 2024 | Kaare Strøm, University of California, San Diego |
| 2023 | Katherine Tate, Brown University |
| 2022 | Lynda Powell, University of Rochester |
| 2021 | Kenneth Shepsle, Harvard University |
| 2020 | Keith Krehbiel, Stanford University |
| 2019 | John Aldrich, Duke University David W. Rohde, Duke University |
| 2018 | David Mayhew, Yale University |
Emerging Scholar Award
The Emerging Scholar award is designed to recognize a scholar who is no more than 6 years from the year of their PhD who has informed the study of legislative politics through innovative and rigorous scholarship. The recipient of this award will be an individual who has a strong early career publication trajectory, and has presented their work actively at conferences and other public venues. Letters of nomination for this award should be sent to the committee along with the candidate’s most recent CV.
| 2025 | Christian Fong, University of Michigan |
| 2024 | Jesse Crosson, Purdue University |
| 2023 | Annelise Russell, University of Kentucky |
| 2022 | Jaclyn Kaslovsky, Rice University |
| 2021 | Ken Opalo, Georgetown University |
| 2020 | Melinda Ritchie, University of California Riverside |
| 2019 | Molly Reynolds, The Brookings Institution |
| 2018 | Tiffany Barnes, University of Kentucky Justin Kirkland, University of Virginia |