Navigating the Legislative Divide

Matthew N. Beckmann and Anthony J. McGann
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Matthew N. Beckmann: Department of Political Science & Center for the Study of Democracy, University of California, Irvine, 3151 Social Science Plaza, Irvine, CA 92697, USA, beckmann@uci.edu
Anthony J. McGann: Department of Political Science & Center for the Study of Democracy, University of California, Irvine, 3151 Social Science Plaza, Irvine, CA 92697, USA, amcgann@uci.edu

Journal of Theoretical Politics, 2008, vol. 20, issue 2, 201-220

Abstract: Polarization hallmarks contemporary Washington's political landscape. While an increasing literature examines the factors propelling this schism, theoretical work investigating its consequences has just begun. Building from a simple bargaining model in which an exogenous actor (e.g. the president) strategically allocates scarce `political capital' to induce changes in legislators' preferences, we examine how varying the chamber's preference distribution affects the policies that result. Instead of miring presidents' preferred policies in gridlock, the model shows that ideological polarization — in the form of a bimodal distribution — can actually enable a president to pass policies closer to his ideal than would have been possible under greater ideological homogeneity.

Keywords: Congress; polarization; presidency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:jothpo:v:20:y:2008:i:2:p:201-220

DOI: 10.1177/0951629807085818

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