The Passage of Public-Sector Collective Bargaining Laws

In this paper we will examine the causes of state laws regulating public-sector collective bargaining in a wider context than previous studies. We will review the relevant literatures on unionism and public policy formation. The literature on public-policy formation is organized around a number of key debates. Functionalists and pluralists argue the importance of economic and political factors, while pluralists, elitists, and Marxists debate which organized forces in society influence state behavior. Most recently, state-centered theorists have focused attention on the characteristics of the state itself.