Hostname: page-component-6587cd75c8-2cm9h Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-24T06:11:37.357Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Electoral Competition in the American States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2013

Thomas M. Holbrook  and
Emily Van Dunk
Thomas M. Holbrook
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Emily Van Dunk
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Electoral competition is a concept that has played a central role in much of the state politics literature. One commonly used indicator of competition in the states is the Ranney index. We offer an alternative indicator of competition, one based on district-level outcomes of state legislative elections. After evaluating both indicators in terms of validity and reliability, the analysis suggests that the district-level indicator is both empirically and intuitively superior as a measure of electoral competition. The implications of this finding are discussed.

Type
Research Notes
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 87 , Issue 4 , December 1993 , pp. 955 - 962
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Albritton, Robert. 1990. “Social Services: Welfare and Health.” In Politics in the American States, 5th ed., edited by Gray, Virginia, Jacob, Herbert and Albritton, Robert, 411–446. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.Google Scholar
Barrilleaux, Charles J. 1986. “A Dynamic Model of Partisan Competition in the American States.” American Journal of Political Science, 30:822–840.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bibby, John, Cotter, Cornelius, Gibson, James, and Huckshorn, Robert. 1990. “Parties in State Politics.” In Politics in the American States, 5th ed., edited by Gray, Virginia, Jacob, Herbert and Albritton, Robert, 85–112. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.Google Scholar
Broh, C. Anthony, and Levine, Mark S.. 1978. “Patterns of Party Competition.” American Politics Quarterly, 6:357–384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carmines, Edward G., and Zeller, Richard A.. 1979. Reliability and Validity Assessment. Beverly Hills and London: Sage Publications.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cnudde, Charles F., and McCrone, Donald J.. 1969. “Party Competition and Welfare Policies in the American States.” American Political Science Review, 63:858–866.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colby, David C., and Baker, David G.. 1988. “State Policy Responses to the AIDS Epidemic.” Publius, 18:113–130.Google Scholar
Dawson, Richard E., and Robinson, James A.. 1963. “Interparty Competition, Economic Variables, and Welfare Politics in the American States.” Journal of Politics, 25:265–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dye, Thomas R. 1966. Politics, Economics, and Public Policy in the American States. Chicago: Rand McNally & Co.Google Scholar
Dye, Thomas R. 1968. “The Independent Effect of Party Competition on Policy.” State Politics. Belmont CA: Wadworth Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Dye, Thomas R. 1984. “Party and Policy in the States.” The Journal of Politics, 1097–1116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fenno, Richard. 1978. Home Style: House Members in Their Districts. Boston: Little, Brown.Google Scholar
Garand, James. 1985. “Partisan Change and Shifting Expenditure Priorities in the American States.” American Politics Quarterly, 13:355–392.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garand, James. 1991. “Electoral Marginality in State Legislative Elections, 1968–86.” Legislative Studies Quarterly, 16:7–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Golembiewski, R. T. 1958. “A Taxonomic Approach to State Political Party Strength.” Western Political Quarterly, 11:494–513.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, Virginia. 1976. “A Note on Competition and Turnout in the American States.” Journal of Politics, 38:153–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, Bob, and Kerr, Mary Lee. 1991. 1991–1992 Green Index. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.Google Scholar
Hansen, Susan B. 1990. “The Politics of State Taxing and Spending.” Politics in the American States, 5th ed., edited by Gray, Virginia, Jacob, Herbert and Albritton, Robert, 771–785. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.Google Scholar
Hill, Kim Quaile, and Leighley, Jan E.. 1992. “The Policy Consequences of Class Bias in State Electorates.” American Journal of Political Science 36:351–365.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holbrook, Thomas M., and Percy, Stephen L.. 1992. “Exploring Variations in State Laws Providing Protections for Persons With Disabilities.” Western Political Quarterly, 35: 201–220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Key, V. O. Jr., 1949. Southern Politics in State and Nation. New York: Vintage.Google Scholar
King, James D. 1988. “Interparty Competition in the American States: An Examination of Index Components.” Western Political Quarterly, 41:779–790.Google Scholar
Lewis-Beck, Michael. 1977. “The Relative Importance of Socioeconomic and Political Variables for Public Policy.” American Political Science Review, 71:559–561.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lockard, Duane. 1959. New England State Politics. Princeton: Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowery, David. 1987. “The Distribution of Tax Burdens in the American States: The Determinants of Fiscal Incidence.” Western Political Quarterly, 30:137–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marquette, Jesse F., and Hinckley, Katherine A.. 1981. “Competition, Control, and Spurious Covariation: A Longitudinal Analysis of State Spending.” American Journal of Political Science, 25:362–375.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meier, Kenneth J. 1991. “The Politics of Drug Abuse: Laws, Implementation, and Consequences.” Western Political Quarterly, 34:41–69.Google Scholar
Meyer, Louis S. 1982. “Consumer Protection.” In The Book of the States, 1981–82, 24:540–45. Lexington, KY: The Council of State Governments.Google Scholar
Milbrath, Lester. 1971. “Individuals and Government.” In Politics in the American States, 2nd ed., edited by Jacob, Herbert and Vines, Kenneth. Boston: Little, Brown & Co.Google Scholar
Patterson, Samuel C., and Caldeira, Gregory. 1983. “Getting Out the Vote: Participation in Gubernatorial Elections” American Political Science Review, 77:675–689.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patterson, Samuel C., and Caldeira, Gregory. 1984. “The Etiology of Partisan Competition.” American Political Science Review, 78:691–707.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Plotnick, Robert D., and Winters, Richard F.. 1985. “A Politicoeconomic Theory of Income Redistribution.” American Political Science Review, 79:458–473.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Powell, G. Bingham Jr., 1986. “American Voter Turnout in Comparative Perspective.” American Political Science Review, 80:17–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ranney, Austin. 1976. “Parties in State Politics.” In Politics in the American States, 3rd ed., edited by Jacob, Herbert and Vines, Kenneth. Boston: Little, Brown & Co.Google Scholar
Stonecash, Jeffrey M. 1987. “Inter-Party Competition, Political Dialogue, and Public Policy: A Critical Review.” Policy Studies Journal, 16:243–262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tidmarch, Charles M., Lonergan, Edward and Sciortino, John. 1986. “Interparty Competition in the U.S. States: Legislative Elections, 1970–1978.” Legislative Studies Quarterly, 11:353–374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tompkins, Gary. 1975. “A Causal Model of State Welfare Expenditures.” Journal of Politics 37:392–416.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tucker, Harvey. 1982. “Inter-Party Competition in the American States: One More Time.” American Politics Quarterly, 10:93–116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Uslaner, Eric. 1978. “Comparative State Policy Formation, Interparty Competition and Malapportionment: A new look at V. O. Key's Hypotheses.” Journal of Politics, 40:409–432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weber, Ronald, Tucker, Harvey, and Brace, Paul. 1991. “Vanishing Marginals in State Legislative Elections.” Legislative Studies Quarterly, 16:29–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, Gerald, Erikson, Robert, and McIver, John. 1985. “Measuring State Partisanship and Ideology with Survey Data.” Journal of Politics 47:469–489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zody, Richard, and Luttbeg, Norman. 1968. “An Evaluation of Various Measures of State Party Competition.” Western Political Quarterly, 21:723–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.