Observers of state politics in the U.S.
have noted that the frameworks in which governors perform their jobs can
influence how large of an impact they have on their states’ politics.
The following are measures of how different states’ governorships are
structured, with an eye toward creating a measure of institutional gubernatorial
power.
2007 Updates
2005 Updates
Summary of Gubernatorial Powers (2005)
2004 Updates
Summary of Gubernatorial Powers (2004)
Institutional Powers of the Governors of the 50 States.
This file contains the GIP ratings and includes some notes and
sources.
Specifications of the governor’s veto power.
Data for 1948, 1960, 1968, 1980, 1988, 1994, 1998, 2001.
The degree to which the governor’s party control the legislature.
Data for 1988, 1994, 1998, 2001.
The governor’s power to organize the bureaucracy.
Data for 1980.
The governor’s overall power within a state’s institutional structure.
This is the first two indexes with additional years.
Data for 1960, 1968, 1980,
1988, 1994, 1998, 2001.
Size of governors’ victories.
Data for 1994, 1998.
Governor’ places on state ambition ladder.
Data for 1994, 1998.
Personal future of the governors.
Data for 1994, 1998.
Personal style of the governors.
Data for 1994.
Governors’ job performance ratings in public opinion polls.
Data for 1998.
Governor's personal powers: powers inherent in the governor position.
For 2003, broken down by its composite indicators, with notes
The summary result, for 1994 and 1998.
The power of the legislature to change the governors’ budget.
Data for 1988.
Summary of Personal and Institutional Powers of Governors by State, 2003
Each state’s summary score is the sum
of its scores from the governor's personal powers and the governor's institutional
powers.
Definitions
A list of the definitions for these
measures .
A list of the sources for these indexes.
This page was last updated July 2008.
Maintained by Patrick Wohlfarth.