A Paradox in Polarization? Cross-pressured Representatives and the Missing Incentive to Moderate. (March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Toll, Benjamin T.
• Is Part Of: World affairs. Volume 182:Number 1(2019)
• Page Start: 61
• Page End: 96
• Publication Date: 2019-03
• Subjects: Political Parties -- Polarization -- Moderate -- Moderation -- United States -- Congress -- Representation -- Cross-pressured Congressmen -- Partisanship -- House of Representatives; Partidos políticos -- Polarización -- Moderado -- Estados Unidos -- Congreso -- Representación -- Congresistas de presión cruzada -- Partidismo -- Cámara de Representantes; 政党 -- 两极分化 -- 温和 -- 美国 -- 国会 -- 代表 -- 交叉压力下的国会议员 -- 党派关系 -- 众议院; International relations -- Periodicals; Peace -- Periodicals; Arbitration (International law) -- Periodicals; United States -- Foreign relations -- Periodicals; Arbitration (International law); International relations; Peace; United states; Foreign relations; Internationale politiek; Periodicals; 327.05
• DOI: 10.1177/0043820019825934
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0043-8200

Abstract

Members of the public are often left choosing between two extreme candidates who will not represent the moderate, aggregate, public effectively. Cross-pressured members of the U.S. Congress serve a constituency that votes for the opposite party at the national level. If there is any group of representatives that have an incentive to moderate their voting behavior, it is cross-pressured members. In this article, I show that cross-pressured members are more moderate than the average member of their party. This could provide constraints on rampant partisanship in the form of districts that are comfortable electing a representative of one party and voting for the president of the other. However, I show that these members are significantly less likely to be reelected. Thus a paradox exists in which cross-pressured members who moderate their voting behavior are no more likely to be rewarded for behaving the way citizens claim they want to represent.