The Macro Sort of the State Electorates. (June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wright, Gerald C.; Birkhead, Nathaniel
• Is Part Of: Political research quarterly. Volume 67:Number 2(2014:Jun.)
• Page Start: 426
• Page End: 439
• Publication Date: 2014-06
• Subjects: public opinion -- state ideology -- state partisanship -- party polarization; Political science -- Periodicals; Science politique -- Périodiques; 320
• DOI: 10.1177/1065912914522130
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1065-9129

Abstract

Individual-level studies of partisan and ideological change find that individuals generally adjust their ideological preferences to match their partisan affiliation. In examining this process among the state electorates, we find that contrary to these studies, states have adjusted their partisanship to match their ideology. In addition, we use a measure of state elite ideology to show that state parties have a role in the character of the partisan sort of the states. These results are consistent with political explanations of party strategy and rational mass responses for the character of macro-political change in the states over the last half century.