In 2025, the Levin Center conducted a study of all 50 states to examine how legislatures ensure government programs work effectively for citizens. Factors such as legislative oversight committees, routine engagement with executive agencies, collection of casework data, digital transparency tools, and user-centered policy evaluation were of particular importance. The full report can be found here.
State Summary #
Pennsylvania has many of the necessary tools to conduct meaningful oversight, including a legislature with professional staff and strong analytic bureaucracies. The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee is a major source of legislative oversight work and reports by the committee’s staff are readily available online. The main channel for public interaction with the Pennsylvania General Assembly appears to be through individual legislators, who maintain separate district offices with staff. Legislators and staff across the General Assembly use computer systems to track constituent interactions. Four separate systems are maintained by each chamber and caucus.
