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 #
Alaska’s legislature has good infrastructure for oversight and public engagement. Committees involved in oversight furnish meeting minutes, reports, and supporting material in an accessible way. Additionally, Alaska’s Office of Management and Budget tracks and publishes agency progress on certain key performance indicators that offer a valuable resource for tracking agency effectiveness.
Alaska also has several particularly novel tools for public engagement. The Public Opinion Message System allows constituents to send short written messages to “some or all legislators” while matching their information to the state’s voter file. Constituents are able to testify in committee meetings by telephone, and the Legislative Information Office even maintains a live chat tool on their website.
