Legislative Transparency and Self-Government: Nevada and First Amendment Application

Authors

Allister Dias, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow

Document Type

Capstone Project

Publication Date

Spring 5-16-2025

Publication Title

Brookings Public Policy Minor Culminating Project

First page number:

1

Last page number:

40

Abstract

With the rise in political tension in the United States, the call for transparency from elected officials has reached an all-time high. While the role of American democracy is to promote a sense of participation from constituents, the lack of information regarding policy decisions has exempted the public from the halls of the legislature. This policy brief examines legislative transparency in Nevada through the concept of self-government theory. Despite a 1994 constitutional amendment to require publicly accessible legislative committee meetings, exemptions from Open Meeting Law and statutory exemptions continue to limit public access and further the divide between the government and its constituents. Drawing comparisons on transparency models in Florida and California, this report highlights structural gaps in Nevada’s accountability model, while proposing a series of reforms to promote public notice requirements, transparency mediation, removal of legislative exemptions, and control the influence of lobbyist disclosure rules. These recommendations will allow Nevada to align its legislative proceedings with reinvigorated civic participation, public trust, and democratic efficacy.

Keywords

Self-government; First Amendment; Free Speech; Transparency; Legislature

Disciplines

Constitutional Law | Higher Education | Public Affairs | Public Policy | Rule of Law | Social Policy | Urban Studies

File Format

pdf

File Size

591 KB

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Repository Citation

Dias, A. (2025). Legislative Transparency and Self-Government: Nevada and First Amendment Application. Brookings Public Policy Minor Culminating Project 1-40.
Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/brookings_capstone_studentpapers/24