Sequential elections and overlapping terms: voting for US Senate
نویسنده
چکیده
This paper presents a model in which voters attempt to balance the ideological positions of their Senate representatives. Candidate positions are determined endogenously through a primary system. The median voter theorem is applied in each election to determine winning platforms based on voter preferences which may differ from their individual bliss points. Contrary to the original median voter theorem, the main implications of this model are that: (i) convergence on platform positions is not achieved in the general election, and (ii) extremist candidates defeat moderates in the stable long-run equilibrium. ©2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. JEL classification: D72; H11
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The phenomena of divided senate delegations, whereby several states are represented by senators from opposing political parties and differing political ideology, may at first blush seem at odds with the traditional median voter model. In a recent paper (Heckelman, 2000), I have modified the median voter framework by introducing two key institutional aspects, primary elections and staggered term...
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