Legislative Studies Section--Rosenthal Prize

The Alan Rosenthal Prize

For Best Book or Article in Legislative Studies Written by a Junior Scholar That Has Potential Value to Legislative Practitioners.

Deadline for submission: March 1.

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 potential application to strengthening the practice of representative democracy. Topics may be national or subnational in focus and may apply to any country. Preference will be given to comparative legislative research among legislatures in the same country or across countries. The prize is funded by the Trust for Representative Democracy of the National Conference of State Legislatures and the State Legislative Leaders Foundation.

Background

Alan Rosenthal has devoted a distinguished and prolific career to the comparative study of American legislatures. Perhaps more than any other legislative scholar, his books have been read by the legislators, staff, and advocates who inhabit the world he studies, and his passion, insight and scholarship have influenced the practice of representative democracy in America.

Alan is committed to building links between political scientists and legislative practitioners. As one specific example of this commitment, in 2000 he convened a meeting of legislative scholars and practitioners to develop an agenda for legislative research that would meet the needs of legislators and staff. Out of this conference came a unique joint project between a group of legislative scholars and the National Conference of State Legislatures, the State Legislative Leaders Foundation and the Council of State Governments to study the effects of term limits. Another goal set at that conference was to encourage young scholars to do comparative legislative research on questions that have practical application to legislatures. This prize contributes to that goal.

Eligibility and Procedure

Eligibility: The book or article must be published in the previous calendar year and authored by scholars below the rank of associate professor or legislative practitioners at equivalent career stage. In the case of books or articles by multiple authors, the work is eligible for the award if at least one author is below the rank of associate professor. Nominations for the prize may be made by anyone, including authors, publishers, departments, or practitioners. Deadline for submission is March 1. Please send cover letter and copy of work to each member of the prize committee.

A selection committee appointed by the LSS chair will choose the prizewinner from among the nominees. At least one member of the selection committee shall be a practitioner. Practitioners are considered to be people who are directly involved in the legislative process including elected legislators, legislative staff, legislative advocates (private sector and executive branch), journalists who cover legislatures, and staff of national or international organizations of legislators. The committee may choose not to award the prize in any given year. The amount of the prize will be commensurate with other awards given by the Legislative Studies Section.

Selection Committee:

§ Michele L. Swers (chair), Department of Government, ICC 681, 37th and O Streets, NW, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057. Email: mls47@georgetown.edu. Phone: 202-687-2980.

§ Christopher Berry, Harris School, 1155 East 60th St., University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637. Email: crberry@uchicago.edu. Phone: 773-702-5939.

§ John D. Griffin, Department of Political Science, 217 O’Shaughnessy, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN 46556. Email: John.Griffin@nd.edu. Phone: 574-631-7659.

Previous Winners of the Alan Rosenthal Prize
2009	Christopher Berry
2008	David Primo
2007	Nancy Martarano
2006	Tracy Sulkin
2005	Thad Kousser
2004	Yusaku Horiuchi and Jun Saito
2003	E. Scott Adler

2009 Winner

Christopher Berry, University of Chicago, “Piling on: Multilevel Government and the Fiscal Common-Pool” (American Journal of Political Science 52 (Oct. 2008): 802-820).

Selection Committee:

Beth A. Rosenson (chair), University of Florida

David Primo, University of Rochester

Dan Wirls, University of California, Santa Cruz

2008 Winner

David Primo, University of Rochester, Rules and Restraint: government Spending and the Design of Institutions (University of Chicago Press).

Selection Committee:

James A. Thurber (chair), American University

Nancy Martorano, University of Dayton

Michael D. Minta, Washington University

2007 Winner

Nancy Martarano, University of Dayton, “Balancing Power: Committee System Autonomy and Legislative Organization,” Legislative Studies Quarterly, May 2006.

Selection Committee:

Garrison Nelson (chair), University of Vermont

Susan Hammond, American University

Stephen Frank, St. Cloud State University

2006 Winner

Tracy Sulkin, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Issue Politics in Congress (Cambridge University Press).

Selection Committee:

Stephen E. Frantzich (chair), US Naval Academy

Gary F. Moncrief, Boise State University

David T. Canon, University of Wisconsin

2005 Winner
Thad Kousser, University of California - San Diego, Term Limits and the Dismantling of State Legislative Professionalism (Cambridge University Press).

Selection Committee:
Joseph Cooper (chair), Johns Hopkins University
Cherie Maestas, Florida State University
Daniel J. Palazzolo, University of Richmond

2004 Winner
Yusaku Horiuchi, The Australian National University, and Jun Saito, Yale University, "Reapportionment and Redistribution: Consequences of Electoral Reform in Japan," American Journal of Political Science 47 (October 2003): 669-682.

Selection Committee:
Burdett Loomis (chair), University of Kansas
Donald Wolfensberger, Woodrow Wilson Center
E. Scott Adler, University of Colorado

2003 Winner
E. Scott Adler, University of Colorado - Boulder, Why Congressional Reforms Fail: Reelection and the House Committee System (University of Chicago Press).

Selection Committee:
Karl Kurtz (chair), National Conference of State Legislatures
Stanley I. Bach, Congressional Research Service
Maureen F. Moakley, University of Rhode Island