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The Ideological Congruence Controversy

The Impact of Alternative Measures, Data, and Time Periods on the Effects of Election Rules

University of Rochester, New York

Focusing on the left-right scale as a summary measure of citizens’ and representatives’ preferences, a growing body of literature has used a variety of approaches and data in measuring positions of citizens and representatives. The most recent studies, contrary to previous ones, show no significant difference between ideological congruence in single member district (SMD) and proportional representation (PR) electoral systems. This article examines the major alternative measurement approaches and data sets, finding that recent results are due to differences in time period, not differences in measurement approach. The associations between election rules and ideological congruence are relatively robust to various measurement approaches, as are estimations of the causal processes shaping ideological congruence. The association between election rules and congruence has declined in the past decade, as shown by all three major approaches, due primarily to convergence toward the median of plurality parties in the SMD elections.

Key Words: representation • ideology • congruence • median voter • proportional representation • single member districts • measurement

This version was published on December 1, 2009

Comparative Political Studies, Vol. 42, No. 12, 1475-1497 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0010414009332147


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