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A New Approach to the Study of Ticket Splitting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Barry C. Burden  and
David C. Kimball
Barry C. Burden
Affiliation:
Louisiana State University
David C. Kimball
Affiliation:
Southern Illinois Universityat Carbondale
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Abstract

A new solution to the ecological inference problem is used to examine split-ticket voting patterns across states and congressional districts in the 1988 elections. Earlier studies of ticket splitting used either aggregate data, which suffer from the “ecological fallacy” and threaten individual-level inferences, or survey data from small, unrepresentative samples. We produce more accurate estimates of the proportions of voters splitting their ballots in each state and district, which enables us to examine variations across geographical units. We also clarify the connection between ticket splitting and divided government and test several competing theories about the causes of both. We find, contrary to balancing arguments, that voters are not intentionally splitting tickets to produce divided government and moderate policies. In most cases split outcomes are a by-product of lopsided congressional campaigns that feature well-funded, high-quality candidates versus unknown competitors.

Type
Articles
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 92 , Issue 3 , September 1998 , pp. 533 - 544
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1998

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