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Congressional Response to Mandate Elections

Author

Listed:
  • David A. M. Peterson
  • Lawrence J. Grossback
  • James A. Stimson
  • Amy Gangl

Abstract

Elections from time to time are widely believed to carry a mandate, to express a message about changed policy preferences of the electorate. Whatever the accuracy of such beliefs—a matter about which we are skeptical—perceptions of a mandate should affect the behavior of actors in government. Politicians lack the scholarly luxury of waiting for careful analyses. They must act in the months following elections. We postulate that many will act as if the mandate perceptions were true, veering away from their normal voting patterns. This is driven by election results and interpretations that undermine old calculations about what voters want. As the flow of information gradually changes these perceptions, and the election becomes more distant, members of Congress return to their normal position. We first ask, how would members observe an emerging consensus of mandate? And then we model the duration of the change in behavior in an event‐history framework. That permits a depiction of important movements of the median member and, from this, inferences about policy impact.

Suggested Citation

  • David A. M. Peterson & Lawrence J. Grossback & James A. Stimson & Amy Gangl, 2003. "Congressional Response to Mandate Elections," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(3), pages 411-426, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:47:y:2003:i:3:p:411-426
    DOI: 10.1111/1540-5907.00030
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    Cited by:

    1. Llavador, Humberto, 2008. "Voting with preferences over margins of victory," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 56(3), pages 355-365, November.
    2. David Peña-Rangel, 2022. "Political equality, plural voting, and the leveling down objection," Politics, Philosophy & Economics, , vol. 21(2), pages 122-164, May.
    3. McMurray, Joseph, 2017. "Voting as communicating: Mandates, multiple candidates, and the signaling voter's curse," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 199-223.
    4. Grillo, Alberto, 2019. "Voter turnout and government's legitimate mandate," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 252-265.
    5. Oleg Smirnov & James H. Fowler, 2007. "Policy-Motivated Parties in Dynamic Political Competition," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 19(1), pages 9-31, January.

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