Constituency Influence on Congressional Decision-Making: A Meta-Analysis
Abstract
Like many areas of study within Political Science, the influence of constituency on congressional voting is often assumed, but not often demonstrated empirically. Some studies claim constituency has a strong impact; others claim is it nonexistent. In an attempt to find an overall pattern in the literature, I examine numerous studies of congressional decision-making. Specifically I conduct a meta-analysis of 31 studies of constituency influence on congressional voting. I introduce theoretical arguments concerning the impact of constituency, ideology, and party identification on the voting decisions made by members of Congress. I introduce the concept of meta-analysis and describe the specific steps taken in conducting this analysis of congressional voting. The results indicate that constituency influence is a significant predictor of congressional voting, but that ideology and party identification demonstrate a stronger effect than constituency.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 18, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA387317
Entities
People
- Joseph R. Foster
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology