"Hearing from all sides" How legislative testimony influences state level policy-makers in the United States

Abstract

Background: This paper investigates whether state legislators find testimony influential, to what extent testimony influences policy-makers' decisions, and defines the features of testimony important in affecting policy-makers' decisions. Methods: We used a mixed method approach to analyze responses from 862 state-level legislators in the United States (U.S.). Data were collected via a phone survey from January-October, 2012. Qualitative data were analyzed using a general inductive approach and codes were designed to capture the most prevalent themes. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulations were also completed on thematic and demographic data to identify additional themes. Results: Most legislators, regardless of political party and other common demographics, find testimony influential, albeit with various definitions of influence. While legislators reported that testimony influenced their awareness or encouraged them to take action like conducting additional research, only 6% reported that testimony changes their vote. Among those legislators who found testimony influential, characteristics of the presenter (e.g., credibility, knowledge of the subject) were the most important aspects of testimony. Legislators also noted several characteristics of testimony content as important, including use of credible, unbiased information and data. Conclusion: Findings from this study can be used by health advocates, researchers, and individuals to fine tune the delivery of materials and messages to influence policy-makers during legislative testimony. Increasing the likelihood that information from scholars will be used by policy-makers may lead to the adoption of more health policies that are informed by scientific and practice-based evidence.

Comparison of Research Framing Preferences and Information Use of State Legislators and Advocates Involved in Cancer Control, United States, 2012–2013

“…A qualitative study with nutrition and obesity researchers active in policy dissemination found that cultivating relationships with policymakers, use of intermediaries (eg, professional associations or nonprofit organizations that aim to improve knowledge sharing between producers and users of knowledge) in this work, and providing relevant policy communication training to researchers are promising strategies for success in knowledge translation into policy (20). Moreland-Russell et al qualitatively examined how legislative testimony influences the actions of legislators in our study and found that it influences awareness of issues and legislative decision-making and that presenter credibility, knowledge, and expertise increase the influence of testimonies (17). …”

“…We adapted questions from a previously developed measure validated with state legislators and cognitively tested with representatives of the advocate sample (8,15–17). To measure information seeking and use, we asked participants to rank a series of statements on a 5-point scale (1 = never, 5 = always) on the basis of how often they used each source of information when working on policy issues.…”

Uses of Research Evidence by State Legislators Who Prioritize Behavioral Health Issues

“…We measured legislators’ use of research evidence with an instrument that has been validated with state legislators (16, 40–41). Details about the sources of instrument items and reliability coefficients are described elsewhere (16).…”

Framing research for state policymakers who place a priority on cancer

“…This may involve knowing the characteristics of the target audience and expressing data in meaningful ways (so-called “social math”[48]) [49]. The use of infographics to present data in accessible and appealing formats can also be a useful tool for more effectively packaging policy-relevant information [50,35]. …”

“…The core survey items were originally developed by Bogenschieder and Coorbett [31], with additional testing among state-level policymakers [34,35]. …”