Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Study finds: there is a systematic bias against liberal policies at the state/national level. (Original Post) Ichingcarpenter Mar 2013 OP
This information is not for general consumption. Jackpine Radical Mar 2013 #1
I'm no farmer but Ichingcarpenter Mar 2013 #2
Exactly. Jackpine Radical Mar 2013 #3
It works better without the typo Recursion Mar 2013 #10
Damn. Just when we thought there was a coverup. pampango Mar 2013 #13
from another link Kolesar Mar 2013 #4
perhaps because our legislators are more conservative than WE think THEY are. KurtNYC Mar 2013 #6
Americans liked the details of Obamacare, but the media made them crazy... Kolesar Mar 2013 #8
So they DON'T HAVE A GRIP ON REALITY Ichingcarpenter Mar 2013 #9
+++++yeah marions ghost Mar 2013 #14
not even in the right ballpark. Ichingcarpenter Mar 2013 #7
Money? That could be the skew introduced via campaign contributions. Trillo Mar 2013 #16
I'm sure the damn highway lobby calls on them very frequently Kolesar Mar 2013 #17
This message was self-deleted by its author BadgerKid Mar 2013 #5
they clearly didn't include VT in their study cali Mar 2013 #11
Yes I read your thread on how your governor Ichingcarpenter Mar 2013 #12
We cannot be trusted to think for ourselves. 99Forever Mar 2013 #15
Perhaps they should have asked them dreamnightwind Mar 2013 #18

Ichingcarpenter

(36,988 posts)
2. I'm no farmer but
Mon Mar 4, 2013, 02:05 PM
Mar 2013

I know the difference between the sheep and the goats and how to separate them.

The study shows that the wolves guide both.

Kolesar

(31,182 posts)
4. from another link
Mon Mar 4, 2013, 02:15 PM
Mar 2013

Broockman and Skovron find that all legislators consistently believe their constituents are more conservative than they actually are. This includes Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives. But conservative legislators generally overestimate the conservatism of their constituents by 20 points. “This difference is so large that nearly half of conservative politicians appear to believe that they represent a district that is more conservative on these issues than is the most conservative district in the entire country,” Broockman and Skovron write. This finding held up across a range of issues. Here, for example, are their findings for health care and same-sex marriage:
SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE GRAPHS

...
The X axis is the district’s actual views, and the Y axis their legislators’ estimates of their views. The thin black line is perfect accuracy, the response you’d get from a legislator totally in tune with his constituents. Lines above it would signify the politicians think the district more liberal than it actually is; if they’re below it, that means the legislators are overestimating their constituents’ conservatism. Liberal legislators consistently overestimate opposition to same-sex marriage and universal health care, but only mildly. Conservative politicians are not even in the right ballpark.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/04/one-study-explains-why-its-tough-to-pass-liberal-laws

The Sss in the original post blew up the url

KurtNYC

(14,549 posts)
6. perhaps because our legislators are more conservative than WE think THEY are.
Mon Mar 4, 2013, 02:39 PM
Mar 2013

By and large they are male, white, over 50 years old and fairly well off.

Kolesar

(31,182 posts)
8. Americans liked the details of Obamacare, but the media made them crazy...
Mon Mar 4, 2013, 02:55 PM
Mar 2013

...and unable to rationally contemplate the Affordable Care Act.

marions ghost

(19,841 posts)
14. +++++yeah
Mon Mar 4, 2013, 04:27 PM
Mar 2013

we are not getting a choice of liberal candidates--we only get moderate candidates to choose from in the first place and they vote THEIR agenda.

Ichingcarpenter

(36,988 posts)
7. not even in the right ballpark.
Mon Mar 4, 2013, 02:47 PM
Mar 2013

I find DU like that some days.
but I'm an old socialist an former member of the
SDS.

Trillo

(9,154 posts)
16. Money? That could be the skew introduced via campaign contributions.
Mon Mar 4, 2013, 04:50 PM
Mar 2013

I'm thinking the bigger the contribution, the bigger the skew expected. The numbers could probably be re-analyzed against each of the politicians' received campaign contributions, ideally on a z-axis.

Kolesar

(31,182 posts)
17. I'm sure the damn highway lobby calls on them very frequently
Mon Mar 4, 2013, 05:01 PM
Mar 2013

...to essentially remind the representatives who funded them. Then it would be agricultural and pharma lobbies who spread their money everywhere. Weapons makers are pretty "generous" with their cash.

The amphibian protection lobby gets forgotten.

Response to Ichingcarpenter (Original post)

Ichingcarpenter

(36,988 posts)
12. Yes I read your thread on how your governor
Mon Mar 4, 2013, 03:08 PM
Mar 2013

is paying attention to your progressive state and why you wrote a letter to him.

99Forever

(14,524 posts)
15. We cannot be trusted to think for ourselves.
Mon Mar 4, 2013, 04:33 PM
Mar 2013

Politicians are much smarter than we are and are selflessly sacrificing their personal lives and opportunities, just to make sure we are on the correct path. Have you no gratitude for all they do?

dreamnightwind

(4,775 posts)
18. Perhaps they should have asked them
Mon Mar 4, 2013, 08:24 PM
Mar 2013

who they consider to be their constituents. That might clear everything up.

Instead of marveling about a mysterious perception gap where reps perceive their constituents to be more conservative than they are (gee, aren't those reps misinformed or stupid?), it makes more sense to seek a different explanation.

In most cases I'd bet that the people the reps think about when asked about their constituents' beliefs are the people who give them money. And small $20 - $100 donors mean little when it comes to considering policy, it's about the large donors, and the corporate lobbyists who work for the large donors. Those donors, for the most part, lean more to the right-wing side, and, more importantly, to corporate interests, certainly not to liberal policies.

Overall I thought this was a good article. I downloaded the whole working paper from here:
http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~broockma/broockman_skovron_asymmetric_misperceptions.pdf

It's quite large but actually looks interesting, maybe I'll find time to read it someday.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Study finds: there is a ...