1983, 72 of the 132 legislators in Madison called politics their only livelihood. All told, Rosenthal estimates that almost "one-third of the na- tion's legislatures are . . . in the hands of full-timers." Only in the less popu- lous states (Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ver-mont, and Wyoming) do "part-time citizens" still occupy most state house and senate seats, and their numbers are declining.
Increasing demands on state legislators' time is one reason...