Sam Reed

The recent advent of gridlock and hyper-partisanship in the United States Congress has raised questions about whether similar divides are occurring in state governments, and if so, why? To find out, researchers--working in 2018 and 2019 under a National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD) grant--conducted a survey of registered lobbyists and public agency legislative liaison officers in all fifty states. They received over 1,200 completed surveys. The researchers hope that understanding reasons behind politicians' inability to demonstrate civility and reach bipartisan agreements will yield effective, purposeful interventions. In Outside Looking In, scholars from across the country interpret the survey results. Using a variety of lenses, they present unique perspectives, revealing both regional and national insights. Chapters address findings on a variety of topics, including effects of political culture heritage on perceptions of civil discourse phenomena and the impact of legislative professionalization; sentiments about civil discourse and perceptions of their own state legislature among lobbyists; a multivariate cross-state comparison of the relative impact of political culture, professionalism, and term limits; presumed and actual impact of term limits on civility; a comparison of lobbyists with and without prior legislative service; and effects of the rural/urban divide and state-level inequality across the states. Also discussed are the efforts by the National Conference of State Legislatures to advance the cause of civil discourse, and NICD interventions to support civil discourse in state legislatures. Offering rare insights on discourse in state legislatures, this work is a must-read for political science scholars studying state governments, state-level lobbying, and civility in government, as well as for state legislators and public interest groups committed to enhancing civility in government.

Washington State is a place of political mavericks. Split tickets are a source of pride and independent voters outnumber Democrats and Republicans. Washington was first to have a voter-approved state Equal Rights Amendment, first to elect a woman as governor, and first to elect a Chinese-American to the position. Today, Washington's open primary election system and voter registration process demonstrate it has not drifted far from its populist roots. Governing the Evergreen State provides an absorbing look at an ever-evolving state political and judicial system and presents intriguing case studies. With chapters on interest groups, the constitution, the environment, media coverage, the court system, the legislature, political parties, changing demographics, and more, this volume updates the popular Governing Washington. Fresh discussions and analysis written by academics from universities across the state, a senator, a pollster, a newspaper reporter/blogger, a former chief justice of the state Supreme Court, and a court administrator offer a springboard for further examination and discussion.

As they voted in the November 2004 election, Washington State citizens were unaware that they were launching a stunning and controversial political episode. The chaotic primary, a public equally divided between two candidates, the soaring voter turnout, and the timing of Election Day all collided, creating the closest ballot result for any governor's race in American history. Never before had an election for a statewide office required two recounts. In another first, litigation followed, calling into question the integrity and accuracy of the entire voting process. Whether Dino Rossi or Christine Gregoire would claim victory was finally decided in June of 2005. Out of 2.8 million votes cast, the winning margin--after the initial tally, a re-total by machine, and ultimately a manual recount--was a razor-thin 133 votes. Written from the perspective of the Office of Secretary of State, An Election for the Ages offers a chronological profile of these dramatic events. It clarifies and explains interpretations of election statutes, court rulings, and the role of state officials, providing an inside look at how Secretary of State Sam Reed and his key executive and election staff supervised a heated political battle that reached beyond this particular race and to the rules of democracy itself.