A COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF SPEAKER CAREER PATTERNS IN US STATE LEGISLATURES

In this paper, I use Polsby's (1968) theory of institutionalization to study change in the career patterns of state legislative speakers. I find that in certain ways leadership is institutionalizing. Most speak ers today had previous leadership experience, and in a majority of cha mbers there is a specific career path to the speakership. Both previou s experience and career path are indicators of institutionalization. H owever, the career path in virtually all chambers is flexible. Further , the more professionalized legislatures are more likely to lack a spe cific career path than are less professionalized institutions. These f indings add to the literature that suggest that state legislatures do not show a consistent pattern of institutionalization.