This study investigated the possible relationship between level of service to students with behavioral disorders and: restrictiveness of State Department of Education positions on interpretation of the definition of serious emotional disturbance, of the social maladjustment exclusion in that definition, and a state's degree of republicanism. The study, which involved a review of states' voting records and a survey of 48 state and territorial directors of special education, found that the majority of respondents preferred the least restrictive interpretation of the definition of serious emotional disturbances and the most restrictive interpretation of the social maladjustment exclusion. Interpretation of definition and republicanism had positive correlations with behavioral disorders service level. (18 references) (Author/PB)