The Role of Lawyer-Legislators in Shaping the Law: Evidence from Voting on Tort Reforms
Journal
Journal of Law and Economics
ISSN
0022-2186
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2015
Author(s)
Abstract (De)
Attorneys elected to the US Congress and to state legislatures are systematically less likely to vote in favor of tort reforms that restrict tort litigation but more likely to support bills that extend tort law than are legislators with different professional backgrounds. This finding is based on the analysis of 64 roll call votes at the federal and state levels between 1995 and 2014. It holds when controlling for legislators' ideology and is particularly strong for term-limited lawyer-legislators. The empirical regularity is consistent with the hypothesis that lawyer-legislators, at least in part, pursue their private interests when voting on tort issues. Our results highlight the relevance of legislators’ identities and individual professional interests for economic policy making.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
The University of Chicago Press Journals
Volume
58
Number
2
Start page
357
End page
384
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
252065