This research will explain the factors and processes that affect the adoption of rape law reforms in the United States. Specifically, this study examines how both state-level characteristics and interstate processes affect a state?s likelihood of adopting the following rape law reforms: 1) creating gender neutral rape laws, 2) redefining rape as sexual assault, 3) eliminating the resistance requirement, and 4) passing rape shield laws. By considering simultaneously multiple rape law reforms included within a larger law reform movement, this study addresses several theoretically important questions: 1) Does the process of adoption operate differently for more controversial vs. less controversial legal reforms; 2) What are the effects of incremental legal changes on passage of reforms; and 3) How does the adoption of one law reform affect the likelihood of the adoption of other law reforms in the same movement? To answer these questions, the session laws of each state will be searched in order to gather original data on changes made to the rape laws in the United States over the past 27 years. These data will be used to create four dependent variables measuring the year that each state adopted the four rape law reforms included in the study. Several secondary data sources will be searched to collect data on the independent variables, which will measure social and political characteristics of each state, previous rape law reforms passed by each state, and several factors that tap into the process by which states may influence each other (i.e. being in close proximity to a state that already adopted a reform). The results from this study will greatly enhance our understanding of the adoption of rape law reforms in particular and the law formation process more generally. Since this project is the first study to utilize longitudinal data to examine the adoption of multiple reforms included in a larger law reform movement, this study is able to address several unexamined aspects of the law formation process. Thus, this research significantly advances our scientific knowledge and theoretical understanding of the law formation process. In terms of the study?s broader impact, this research addresses an important issue in our legal system as it seeks to determine what processes facilitate the passage of laws that provide women with full legal protection against rape. Thus, this research will enhance our understanding of how laws protecting society from violence, especially in regards to violence against women, are passed successfully in the United States. The results of this research will be widely disseminated through scholarly publications and conference presentations. As a likely consequence, legal scholars and legislators may be able to use the study findings to advance legal protections of women in a variety of domains.
