Citation

Shafranek, Richard M. ‘Partisan Polarization and Representation.’ 2020. In Voting and Political Representation in America: Issues and Trends, ed. Mark P. Jones. ABC-CLIO.

Link

https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/voting-and-political-representation-in-america-9781440860843/

TITLE: Partisan Polarization and Representation

ABSTRACT: This chapter examines the relationship between partisan polarization and democratic representation in the United States. It traces the substantial growth of ideological distance between Democratic and Republican elites since the 1970s, reviews competing explanations for congressional polarization, and distinguishes elite polarization from the more contested patterns of ideological and affective polarization among voters. The chapter argues that polarization carries significant costs, including legislative gridlock, reduced compromise, and stronger partisan hostility, while also improving voters’ ability to distinguish between parties and choose among clearer policy alternatives. It concludes that polarized parties may, under some conditions, represent constituent preferences more effectively than parties concentrated near the ideological center.

Figure 1.