Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T09:20:04.620Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Etiology of Partisan Competition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Samuel C. Patterson  and
Gregory A. Caldeira
Samuel C. Patterson
Affiliation:
The University of Iowa
Gregory A. Caldeira
Affiliation:
The University of Iowa
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In this inquiry, we focus upon the question, “Why are political parties more competitive in some states than they are in others?” We have measured partisan competition as the closeness between the two major political parties in the results of state-level elections, and we have chosen to analyze elections in American states in the 1970s. To account for variations among the states on the dimension of partisan competitiveness, we formulate and present four discrete lines of reasoning—including socio-demographics, urbanization, diversity, and the strength of party organizations. We test each of these avenues of explanation in turn, always taking into account the watershed between North and South in partisan competition. The results vindicate the utility of our general approach, although we do find that each of the four modes of explanation is wanting in some respect. In a full-blown multivariate context, we report that educational levels and urbanization do influence variations among states in partisan competition. Equally compelling and perhaps more interesting, the strength and activism of local party organizations in the states profoundly affect political competitiveness, even when we take stark regional differences into consideration.

Type
Research Article
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 78 , Issue 3 , December 1983 , pp. 691 - 707
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1983

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.)

References

Barry, B. M.Sociologists, economists and democracy. London: Collier-Macmillan, 1970.Google Scholar
Beck, P. A.Environment and party: the impact of political and demographic county characteristics on party behavior. American Political Science Review, 1974, 68, 1229–1244.Google Scholar
Bibby, J. F., Cotter, C. P., Gibson, J. L., & Huck-shorn, R. J.Parties in state politics. In Gray, V., Jacob, H., & Vines, K. N. (Eds.), Politics in the American states. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1983, pp. 59–96. (a)Google Scholar
Bibby, J. F., Gibson, J. L., Cotter, C. P., & Huckshorn, R. J.Trends in party organizational strength, 1960-1980. International Political Science Review, 1983, 4, 21–27. (b)Google Scholar
Black, G. S.Conflict in the community: a theory of the effects of community size. American Political Science Review, 1974, 68, 1245–1261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bond, J. R.Constituency diversity and competition in U.S. congressional elections in the 1970s. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 1983, 8, 201–217.Google Scholar
Bonjean, C. M., & Lineberry, R. L.The urbanization-party competition hypothesis: a comparison of all United States counties. Journal of Politics, 1970,32, 305–321.Google Scholar
Broh, C. A., & Levine, M. S.Patterns of party competition. American Politics Quarterly, 1978, 6, 357–384.Google Scholar
Bryan, F. M.Politics in the rural states. Boulder, Colo.: Westview, 1981.Google Scholar
Bryan, F. M.Yankee politics in rural Vermont. Hanover, N.H.: University Press of New England, 1974.Google Scholar
Caldeira, G. A., & Patterson, S. C.Contextual influences on participation in U.S. state legislative elections. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 1982, 7, 359–381. (a)Google Scholar
Caldeira, G. A., & Patterson, S. C.Bringing home the votes: electoral outcomes in state legislative races. Political Behavior, 1982, 4, 33–67. (b)Google Scholar
Casstevens, T. W., & Press, C.The context of democratic competition in American state politics. American Journal of Sociology, 1963, 68, 536–541.Google Scholar
Chambers, W. N., & Davis, P. C.Party, competition, and mass participation: the case of the democratizing party system, 1824-1852. In Silbey, J. H., Bogue, A. G., & Flanigan, W. H. (Eds.), The history of American electoral behavior. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1978, pp. 174–197.Google Scholar
Coulter, P. B., & Gordon, G.Urbanization and party competition: critique and redirection of theoretical research. Western Political Quarterly, 1968, 21, 274–288.Google Scholar
Crotty, W. J.The party organization and its activities. In Crotty, W. J. (Ed.), Approaches to the study of party organization. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1968, pp. 247–306.Google Scholar
Cutright, P.Urbanization and competitive party politics. Journal of Politics, 1963, 25, 552–564.Google Scholar
Dahl, R. A. (Ed.). Political oppositions in western democracies. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1966.Google Scholar
Dahl, R. A., & Tufte, E. R.Size and democracy. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1973.Google Scholar
David, P. T.How can an index of party competition best be derived? Journal of Politics, 1972, 34, 632–638. (a)Google Scholar
David, P. T.Party strength in the United States. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1972. (b)Google Scholar
Dawson, R. E., & Robinson, J. A.Inter-party competition, economic variables, and welfare policies in the American states. Journal of Politics, 1963, 25, 265–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Degler, C. N.American political parties and the rise of the city: an interpretation. Journal of American History, 1964, 51, 41–59.Google Scholar
Downs, A.An economic theory of democracy. New York: Harper, 1957.Google Scholar
Duverger, M.Political parties. London: Methuen, 1954.Google Scholar
Elazar, E.American federalism: a view from the states (2nd ed.). New York: Crowell, 1972.Google Scholar
Eldersveld, S. J.Political parties in American society. New York: Basic Books, 1982.Google Scholar
Elkins, D. J.The measurement of party competition. American Political Science Review, 1974, 68, 682–700.Google Scholar
Epstein, L. D.Political parties in western democracies (Rev. ed.). New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Books, 1980.Google Scholar
Epstein, L. D.Politics in Wisconsin. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1958.Google Scholar
Eulau, H.The ecological basis of party systems: the case of Ohio. Midwest Journal of Political Science, 1957, 1, 125–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finer, S. E.The changing British party system, 1945-1979. Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1980.Google Scholar
Fiorina, M. P.Representatives, roll calk, and constituencies. Lexington, Mass.: D.C. Heath, 1974.Google Scholar
Franklin, B. J.Urbanization and paity competition: a note on shifting conceptualization and a report on further data. Social Forces, 1971, 49, 544–549.Google Scholar
Gatlin, D. S.Toward a functionalist theory of political parties: inter-party competition in North Carolina. In Crotty, W. J. (Eds.), Approaches to the study of party organization. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1968, pp. 217, 245.Google Scholar
Gibson, J. L., Cotter, C. P., Bibby, J. F., & Huckshorn, R. J.Whither the local parties? a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of the strength of party organizations. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association, San Diego, California, 1982.Google Scholar
Gibson, J. L., Cotter, C. P., Bibby, J. F., & Huckshorn, R. J.Assessing party organizational strength. American Journal of Political Science, 1983, 27, 193–222.Google Scholar
Gilbert, C. E., & Clague, C.Electoral competition and electoral systems in large cities. Journal of Politics, 1962, 24, 223–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gold, D., & Schmidhauser, J. R.Urbanization and party competition: the case of Iowa. Midwest Journal of Political Science, 1960, 4, 62–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Golembiewski, R. T.A taxonomic approach to state political party strength. Western Political Quarterly, 1958, 11, 494–513.Google Scholar
Goodman, W.The party system in America. Engle-wood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1980.Google Scholar
Gordon, G., & Coulter, P.The sociological bases of party competition: the case of Massachusetts. Sociological Quarterly, 1969, 10, 84–105.Google Scholar
Gosnell, H. F.Crass roots politics. Washington, D.C.American Council on Public Affairs, 1942.Google Scholar
Gray, V.Models of comparative state politics: a comparison of cross-sectional and time series analysis. American Journal of Political Science, 1976, 20, 235–256.Google Scholar
Gross, D. A.Units of analysis and Rae's fractionalization index. Comparative Political Studies, 1982, 15, 85–98.Google Scholar
Harmel, R., & Janda, K.Parties and their environments: limits to reform? New York: Longman, 1982.Google Scholar
Hofferbert, R. I.Classification of American state party systems. Journal of Politics, 1964, 26, 550–567.Google Scholar
Jacobs, D.Competition, scale and political explanations for inequality: an integrated study of sectoral explanations at the aggregate level. American Sociological Review, 1982, 47, 600–614.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jewell, M. E., & Olson, D. M.American state political parties and elections. Homewood, Ill.: Dorsey Press, 1978.Google Scholar
Jewell, M. E., & Olson, D. M.American state political parties and elections (Rev. ed.). Homewood, Ill.: Dorsey Press, 1982.Google Scholar
Jewell, M. E., & Cunningham, E. W.Kentucky politics. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1968.Google Scholar
Katz, D., & Eldersveld, S. J.The impact of local party activity upon the electorate. Public Opinion Quarterly, 1961, 25, 1–24.Google Scholar
Key, V. O. Jr.Southern politics in state and nation. New York: Knopf, 1949.Google Scholar
Key, V. O. Jr.American state politics. New York: Knopf, 1956.Google Scholar
Key, V. O. Jr.Politics, parties and pressure groups (5th ed.). New York: Crowell, 1964 (first published in 1942).Google Scholar
Larew, J. C.A party reborn: the Democrats of Iowa, 1950-1974. Iowa City: Iowa State Historical Department, Division of the State Historical Society, 1980.Google Scholar
Laver, M.The politics of private desires. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books, 1981.Google Scholar
Lindeen, J. W.Intra-state sectionalism: Nebraska presidential election behavior, 1916-1968. Western Political Quarterly, 1971, 24, 540–548.Google Scholar
Lockard, D.New England state politics. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1959.Google Scholar
May, J. D.Sources of competitive disequilibrium between competing political parties. Morristown, N.J.: General Learning Press, 1973.Google Scholar
Meltz, D. B.An index for the measurement of inter-party competition. Behavioral Science, 1973, 18, 60–63.Google Scholar
Miller, N. D.Definitions and measures of the degree of macro-level party competition in multiparty systems. Comparative Political Studies, 1974, 6, 431–456.Google Scholar
Morehouse, S. M.State politics, parties, and policy. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1981.Google Scholar
Owens, J. R., Costantini, E., & Weschler, L. F.California politics and parties. New York: Macmillan, 1970.Google Scholar
Patterson, S. C., & Caldeira, G. A.Getting out the vote: participation in gubernatorial elections. American Political Science Review, 1983, 77, 675–689.Google Scholar
Pettus, B. E., & Bland, R. W.Texas government today (Rev. ed.). Homewood, Ill.: Dorsey Press, 1979.Google Scholar
Pfeiffer, D.The measurement of interparty competition and systemic stability. American Political Science Review, 1967, 61, 457–467.Google Scholar
Rae, D. W., & Taylor, M.The analysis of political cleavages. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1970.Google Scholar
Ranney, A., & Kendall, W.The American party systems. American Political Science Review, 1954, 48, 477–485.Google Scholar
Ranney, A.Parties in state politics. In Jacob, H. & Vines, K. N. (Eds.), Politics in the American states (3 eds.). Boston: Little, Brown, 1965, 1971, 1976.Google Scholar
Robertson, D.A theory of party competition. New York: Wiley, 1976.Google Scholar
Rose, R.Do parties make a difference? Chatham, N.J.: Chatham House, 1980.Google Scholar
Sartori, G.Parties and party systems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976.Google Scholar
Scales, J. R., & Goble, D.Oklahoma politics: a history. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1982.Google Scholar
Schlesinger, J. A.A two-dimensional scheme for classifying the states according to degree of inter-party competition. American Political Science Review, 1955, 49, 1120–1128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schlesinger, J. A.The structure of competition for office in the American states. Behavioral Science, 1960, 5, 197–210.Google Scholar
Schlesinger, J. A.Ambition and politics. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1966.Google Scholar
Schumpeter, J. A.Capitalism, socialism and democracy (3d ed.). New York: Harper and Row, 1950.Google Scholar
Sellers, C. E.The equilibrium cycle in two-party politics. Public Opinion Quarterly, 1965, 29, 16–38.Google Scholar
Sorauf, F. J.Party politics in America (4th ed.). Boston: Little, Brown, 1980.Google Scholar
Stern, M.Measuring interparty competition: a proposal and a test of a method. Journal of Politics, 1972, 35, 889–904.Google Scholar
Stokes, D. E.Spatial models of party competition. American Political Science Review, 1963, 57, 368–377.Google Scholar
Stokes, D. E., & Iversen, G. R.On the existence of forces restoring party competition. Public Opinion Quarterly, 1962, 26, 159–171.Google Scholar
Sullivan, J. L.Political correlates of social, economic, and religious diversity in the American states. Journal of Politics, 1973, 55, 70–84.Google Scholar
Sutton, C. D.Party competition in the South's forgotten region: the case of southern Appalachia. In Moreland, L. W., Baker, T. A., & Steed, R. P. (Eds.), Contemporary southern political attitudes and behavior. New York: Praeger, 1982, pp. 144–159.Google Scholar
Tucker, H. J.Interparty competition in the American states, one more time. American Politics Quarterly, 1982, 10, 93–116. (a)Google Scholar
Tucker, H. J.It's about time: the use of time in cross-sectional state policy research. American Journal of Political Science, 1982, 26, 176–196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolfinger, R. W., & Greenstein, F. I.Comparing political regions: the case of California. American Political Science Review, 1969, 58, 74–85.Google Scholar
Zody, R. E., & Luttbeg, N. R.An evaluation of various measures of state party competition. Western Political Quarterly, 1968, 21, 723–724.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.