Community structure in Congressional cosponsorship networks

Yan Zhang, A.J. Friend, Amanda L. Traud, Mason A. Porter, James H. Fowler and Peter J. Mucha

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2008, vol. 387, issue 7, 1705-1712

Abstract: We study the United States Congress by constructing networks between Members of Congress based on the legislation that they cosponsor. Using the concept of modularity, we identify the community structure of Congressmen, who are connected via sponsorship/cosponsorship of the same legislation. This analysis yields an explicit and conceptually clear measure of political polarization, demonstrating a sharp increase in partisan polarization which preceded and then culminated in the 104th Congress (1995–1996), when Republicans took control of both chambers of Congress. Although polarization has since waned in the U.S. Senate, it remains at historically high levels in the House of Representatives.

Keywords: Complex networks; Social networks; Community structure; Modularity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:387:y:2008:i:7:p:1705-1712

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2007.11.004

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