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Macropartisanship: An Empirical Reassessment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Paul R. Abramson  and
Charles W. Ostrom Jr.
Paul R. Abramson
Affiliation:
Michigan State University
Charles W. Ostrom Jr.
Affiliation:
Michigan State University
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Abstract

To evaluate the comparability of the Gallup and Michigan Survey Research Center measures for studying levels of partisanship among the U.S. electorate we compare the overtime distribution of partisanship and the correlates of partisanship using the results of Gallup surveys, the National Election Studies, and the General Social Surveys. Compared with the Gallup results, both the other two surveys reveal less short-term variation and also less total variation. Compared with the Gallup results, the National Election Studies partisanship results are less related to short-term electoral outcomes and do not appear to be strongly driven by short-term economic and political evaluations. Our analyses suggest that scholars should be cautious about using Gallup results to revise conclusions based upon analyses that employ the Michigan Survey Research Center party identification measure.

Type
Research Article
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 85 , Issue 1 , March 1991 , pp. 181 - 192
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1991 

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