Polarization, Message Votes, and Miles's Law

Lee sums it up on page 160:  "The overall argument of this book is that intensified competition for majority status focuses members' attention on the quest for partisan advantage. The preceding chapters have contended that congressional minority parties reorganized themselves to adopt a more confrontational strategic posture toward the opposition once competition for majority control of Congress reemerged."

Congressional Mitosis: polariztion as both cause and consequence


 


From Voteview:





Individual senators

Message Votes and the Four Strategic Postures

                                                Majority                      Minority

            Pres Party                   Try to prevent               Gotcha: Embarrass majority

           

            Out Party                    Force a veto                  Gotcha: Embarrass majority & president

Health Care







Campaigning v. Governing What happens when a party changes quadrants?

• Kaiser surveys on the Affordable Care Act
• McCain votes no.

Variation of the theme:  the symbolic "no" vote

Messaging: Senator Obama voted against raising the debt ceiling.

President Obama acknowledged a different point of view:




THE BIG TAKEAWAY IS MILES' LAW:  
WHERE YOU STAND DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU SIT.