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David N. LabandProfessor and chair of Economics David N. Laband studies the phenomena of co-sponsorships on congressional bills. In general, members of Congress believe that the number of names signed on a bill increases its chance of advancement. This practice of co-sponsorship eliminates the problem of bill duplication and also has fostered a sense of teamwork. On the negative side, it also creates this mentality of obligation through signing each other's bills: "I'll sign your bill if you sign mine."
Laband argues that who signs the bill matters more than the quantity.
In fact, most heavily co-sponsored legislation doesn’t advance. “This raises the interesting question of why individuals co-sponsor bills they know with virtual certainty will go nowhere,” Laband said.
Overall, Laband claims that it is more likely to see only a few co-sponsors on a bill. It is extremely rare for a bill to appear with more than a hundred signatures.
David N. Laband received his Ph.D. in economics from Virginia Tech in 1981. He is the author of 9 books and over 130 articles in peer-reviewed journals. His research and teaching interests cover a wide range of topics related to economics and policy.
