State Legislature Party Positioning Data for Polarization Analysis

Replication data for a study challenging the conventional theory linking legislative polarization to closely contested chambers. Anthony Fowler's analysis suggests minority parties moderate to win seats, offering an alternative explanation for observed polarization patterns. The dataset was published via the Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy Dataverse and last updated in May 2026.

Use Cases

• Test theories of party positioning based on the hypothesis that clear minority parties moderate.
• Analyze the relationship between legislative seat margins and partisan behavior.
• Replicate or extend the findings of the associated study on polarization in lopsided legislatures.

Strengths

• Data is directly linked to a peer-reviewed academic study, providing clear research context.
• Last update timestamp (2026-05-19) is provided, indicating recent maintenance.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy Dataverse

Collection Method

Likely contains compiled data on party positioning across state legislatures for analysis.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-19 20:20:26; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Likely covers U.S. state legislatures.