State Legistlative Leaders Foundation
Preparing the leaders of today for the challenge of tomorrow
Research
A core component of the Foundation's educational programs and publications is its commitment to understanding what legislative leaders think and believe, what they do and how they do it. To achieve this objective, we engage in a variety of research endeavors in three discrete areas: leadership surveys, case studies, and grant-funded research.Survey
Research
The SLLF's survey research is geared to assessing legislative
leaders' attitudes and opinions on a wide range of issues primarily concerned
with the duties and responsibilities of state legislative leadership. Recent
surveys have explored the effects of term limits on institutional power and
career paths, attitudes on modern campaign practices and welfare reform, and
leadership activity in national organizations. Survey findings have been shared
with all state legislative leaders and are also used in planning future
educational programs and research studies. Analyses of the findings have also
been published in a variety of applied and academic journals, including State
and Local Government Review, Gender and Politics, and SPECTRUM: The Journal of
State Governments.
For more information, contact Thom Little at (336)
856-0623 or at sllfthom@aol.com.
Grant-funded
Research
In the area of grant-funded research, the SLLF's work centers
primarily on contemporary social issues where state legislative leaders play a
crucial role. Two recent studies have dealt with children and families at risk
(funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and The Ford Foundation), and welfare
reform (the David and Lucile Packard and Annie E. Casey Foundations). In a joint
undertaking with the National Conference of State Legislatures, the SLLF
commissioned and published a report authored by Professor Alan Rosenthal of
Rutgers University. The report focuses on helping America's state legislatures
deal with ethical problems that confront them today and will confront them in
the years ahead. Future research projects will focus on the effects of term
limits, the politics of environmental policy formulation and strengthening the
image of the modern state legislature.
For copies of two earlier reports
- Welfare Reform Report and Keys to Effective Legislation
for Children and Families contact Debbie Buckler at (508) 771-3821 or sllfdeb@capecod.net.
Keys to
Effective Legislation for Children and Families (PDF)
For more
information on Grant Funded Research, contact Thom Little at (336) 856-0623 or
at sllfthom@aol.com.
Calendar
July 14 – 17, 2008
Program for Emerging Political Leaders
Darden Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia – Charlottesville, Virginia
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September 17 – 21, 2008
National Speakers Conference – 17th annual meeting
Hosted by Hon. William Murphy, Speaker of the House, Rhode Island
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Program Schedule (pdf)
December 4 - 7, 2008
Annual Winter Leadership Forum
America's Vote: The New Political Landscape
SLLF Board of Directors Meeting
Charleston, South Carolina
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Registration Form - Legislative Participants
Registration Form - Corporate Participants
January 15 - 18, 2009
New Speakers Program
University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service
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