New York state voters are increasingly frustrated by gridlock in the two houses of the state legislature, an impasse that results in delayed legislation, late budgets and a seemingly never-ending refrain of raucous debate and recrimination.

Is it time to change the whole system?

In November, voters will have the chance to decide whether to stay with the status quo -- constitutionally speaking -- or begin a process of change by approving the convening of a constitutional convention that could recommend changes as fundamental as eliminating the state Assembly and Senate and creating a one-house legislature, consolidating the many specialized state courts into a single structure and establishing guidelines for equity in school district finance.

In true New York fashion, even the debate over whether to convene the convention has become passionate; some groups fear it would clear the way for elimination of many modern reforms, while others suggest that nothing would be accomplished and that it would therefore be a waste of time and money.

How can voters make sense of the contradictory information they are already receiving, seven months before the general election? Are there historical models which might shed some light on the issue?

Two new books about New York state constitutional change have been published by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government:

-- "Decision 1997: Constitutional Change in New York," edited by Gerald Benjamin and Henrik N. Dullea, is a collection of essays exploring major themes and questions raised when state constitutional change is considered. The chapters place New York's contemporary constitutional arrangements in the context of the state's history and the experience of other states and examines specific changes that have recently been proposed.

Dullea was a member of the 19-member Temporary State Commission on Constitutional Revision appointed by Gov. Mario Cuomo in 1993 to examine the constitutional convention process and develop a broad agenda of concerns that could be considered at a convention. Benjamin served as director of research for the commission, which held public hearings and forums throughout the state; this book grew out of the work of the commission.

-- "Charter Revision in the Empire State: The Politics of New York's 1967 Constitutional Convention," by Henrik N. Dullea tells the story of what happened the last time New York convened a constitutional convention. It examines the history of constitutional revision in the state as well as the forces at the federal, state and local levels that influenced the call for the 1967 convention. It also explains how delegates were chosen and the workings of the convention itself.

"The 1967 convention was a failure in that its final product -- a revised state constitution -- was resoundingly rejected by voters; but it was also magnificent in that the breadth of important issues debated was extraordinary, there was high drama related to the outcome of many votes, and many of the participants believed they were engaged in a noble enterprise," said Dullea, vice president of university relations at Cornell University.

Dullea believes the time is right for New Yorkers to once again hurl themselves into this ultimate exercise of the democratic process.

"Unlike the federal constitution, our 1894 state constitution is far too long and detailed," Dullea said. "It needs fundamental streamlining if we are ever to see an end to the multiple backdoor gimmicks now employed to circumvent constitutional restrictions. We need a new constitution for a new century."

Dullea, who has been at Cornell since 1991, was previously director of state operations and policy management in the Cuomo administration. He served as assistant secretary for education and the arts in the administration of Gov. Hugh Carey and was legislative budget analyst for the New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committee. He has held a number of senior positions in the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

His new book is an expansion of his doctoral dissertation at Syracuse University's Maxwell Graduate School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He holds a bachelor's degree in government from Cornell University.