Citizen legislature

In the United States, a citizen legislature is one made up primarily of citizens who have a full-time occupation besides being a legislator. James Madison wrote in Federalist No. 62 that "It is not possible that an assembly of men called for the most part from pursuits of a private nature, continued in appointment for a short time, and led by no permanent motive to devote intervals of public occupation to a study of the laws, the affairs, and the comprehensive interests of their country, should, if left wholly to themselves, escape a variety of important errors in the exercise of their legislative trust."[1] Legislatures considered to be citizen legislatures include Idaho,[2] New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon,[3] Utah,[4] and Wyoming.[5] Many states, by contrast, have a professional legislature.

See also

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ Idaho State Legislature - Idaho's Citizen Legislature
  3. ↑ Oregon State Legislature Archived January 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ Utah Constitution - Article VI, Section 16 - Duration of sessions.
  5. ↑ Citizen's Guide to the Legislature


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