In this article, I survey the literature on legislative staffing from
1983 to the present. Recent studies of the staffs of the U.S. Congress
, U.S. state legislatures, and legislatures outside of the United Stat
es present new data and analyses. Research includes increasingly preci
se and sophisticated analyses of staff influence and power, and offers
perspectives on specialized staff groups, legislative enterprises, an
d staff members as candidates for elective office. Interesting and sig
nificant questions remain for further research.