Welcome to the State Oversight Academy
The State Oversight Academy is the first and only national institution dedicated to promoting effective bipartisan fact-finding and oversight by state legislatures as essential to good governance and democracy. Explore the SOA content and get in touch with us!
Oversight Training for Lawmakers & Staff
Let's find the best fit!
State Oversight Research & Resources
Explore State Oversight Data
Meet the SOA & Connect
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What is the State Oversight Academy?
SOA is the first and only national institution dedicated to promoting effective bipartisan fact-finding and oversight by state legislatures as essential to good governance and democracy. SOA is a resource and knowledge hub for oversight practitioners, scholars and other experts, good government advocates, and the public interested in advancing transparent and accountable government. Since its launch in 2023, SOA has become a national leader in advancing democratic renewal and civic discourse across the United States.
SOA's Main Objectives:
- Improving the practice of oversight in state legislatures across the country via trainings and technical assistance for lawmakers and staff
- Fostering academic research and scholarship on state legislative oversight
- Translating scholarship into actionable best practices to be shared among states
- Increasing the visibility of legislative oversight as an essential legislative function
Take your first steps toward better oversight today:
Contact us
Get in touch with our SOA team to discuss oversight in your state. The team can find the best resources for you, can design a workshop that fits your needs, and can share knowledge and experience from the many best practices we’ve gathered around the country.
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Check your state's wiki page
Each state’s legislative landscape is different with a diverse array of oversight actors, jurisdictions, and capacities. To be able to improve legislative oversight, you need first to understand your state’s full picture, including the legislature’s oversight authority and capacity. Visit our unique State Legislature Oversight Wiki and find your state!
Take our online course
Don’t want to wait until we come to your state? Take our online, on-demand oversight course for a deep dive into the different avenues of legislative oversight you can take and improve your oversight work within days!
Our course comprises nine modules including videos, expert interviews, reading materials, and short assignments for you to complete in your own time.
Updates and News
SOA Joins CSG’s Legislative Service Agencies
The State Oversight Academy led a workshop in Chicago at the Midwestern Legislative Service Agencies and Research Directors Meeting, part of the Council of State
SOA Presents at MI Political Science Association
Kyle and Jahan presented a grounded theory approach to analyzing state legislative oversight hearings. They developed the Dimensions of Accountability by coding 52 hearings from
Happy Labor Day Weekend
The entire Levin Center team wishes you a happy Labor Day weekend! Labor Day was special for Senator Carl Levin. He loved the parades, particularly
Levin Center Joins CSG East Leadership Academy
Jim Townsend and Ben Eikey attended the CSG Robert J. Thompson Eastern Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. Across the street from Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence
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