Ghostwriting Legislation: How the Unelected Write State Policy

By Mary Kroeger

State legislators introduce more than 100,000 bills per year and the resulting statutes that become law govern every aspect of life and business in those states. But who exactly writes these laws? In Ghostwriting Legislation, Mary Kroeger delves into the central and often-overlooked role that interest groups, think tanks, companies, and bureaucrats play in writing state law. While legislators are not expected to draft and pass legislation without the input of outside actors, Kroeger argues that a democratic defect may arise if elected officials must rely substantially on non-legislators to craft high-quality bills. Ghostwriting Legislation explores the disconnect between legislative power and legislative capacity, providing key data and insights for those who care about democracy and the separation-of-power dynamics in state legislatures.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1009710109
• ISBN13: 9781009710107
• Release Date: June 2026
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 250 Pages