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A house divided [electronic resource] : polarization and its effect on RAND / James A. Thomson

Author
Thomson, James A., 1945-
Published
Santa Monica, CA : RAND, 2010.
Physical Description
ix, 23 p. : ill. (some col.), maps ; 28 cm.
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Contents
Federalists' belief in deliberation -- Party preference of American voters -- Ideological classification of voters in 2004 -- The DW-Nominate measure -- Nominate versus district characteristics, 1973 -- Nominate versus district characteristics, 2003 -- Polarization in 90th, 100th, and 110th Congresses -- Party polarization, 1879-2007 -- Polarization's effect on public policy -- Growth of constituency characteristics -- 1976 U.S. election by county -- 2008 U.S. election by county -- U.S. election victory margins in landslide counties, 1948-2004 -- Standard deviation of Republican presidential vote, 1948-2004 -- Dealing with controversy.
Summary
The American political climate has become increasingly polarized since the 1970s. Analysis by Keith Poole and Howard Rosenthal shows that voting patterns within Congress have become increasingly divided along party lines, with fewer and fewer moderates. A major cause of polarization appears to be the geographic sorting of voters: Communities and regions of the country have become more politically and ideologically homogeneous, resulting in constituencies in congressional districts and in states that are more strongly conservative or liberal. Whatever its causes, the effects of increased polarization on political discourse and policymaking are clear: There is less room for deliberation between the two parties, and public policy decisionmaking is increasingly driven more by ideology than by objective analysis of which policies, programs, practices, and processes will produce the desired outcomes at the lowest cost. The mission of the RAND Corporation is to provide just this sort of objective analysis, and today's heated political environment presents a serious challenge to this mission. To help make sure that RAND's objective, nonpartisan research influences the policy debate, RAND must work to identify potentially controversial findings and take steps to ensure that they are not misinterpreted or distorted.
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ISBN
9780833049605 (pbk. : alk. paper)
0833049607 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Bibliography Note
Includes bibliographical references.
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