The Statistical Analysis of roll call data
By: CLINTON, Joshua; JACKMAN, Simon; RIVERS, Douglas
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ArticlePublisher: New York : Cambridge University Press, May 2004American Political Science Review 98, 2, p. 355-370Abstract: We develop a Bayesian procedure for estimation and inference for spatial model of roll call voting. This approach is extremely flexible, applicable to any legislative setting, irrespective of size, the extremism of the legislators´ voting histories, or the number of roll calls available for analysis. The model is easily extended to let other sources of information inform the analysis of roll call data, such as the number and nature of the underlying dimensions, the presence of party whipping, the determinants of legislator preferences, and the evolution of the legislative agenda; this is especially helpful since generally it is appropriate to use estimates of extant methods (usually generated under assumptions of sincere voting) to test models embodying alternate assumpetions (e.g., log-rolling, party discipline). A Bayesian approach also provides a coherent framework for estimation and inference with roll call data that eludes extant methods; moreover, via Bayesian simulation methods., it is straightforward to generate uncertainty assesments or hypothesis tests concerning any auxiliary quantity of interests or to formally compare models. In a series of examples we show how our method is easilly extended to accomodate theorically interesting models of legislative behavior. our goal is to provide a statistical framework for combining the measurement of legislative preferences with tests of models of legislative behavior.
We develop a Bayesian procedure for estimation and inference for spatial model of roll call voting. This approach is extremely flexible, applicable to any legislative setting, irrespective of size, the extremism of the legislators´ voting histories, or the number of roll calls available for analysis. The model is easily extended to let other sources of information inform the analysis of roll call data, such as the number and nature of the underlying dimensions, the presence of party whipping, the determinants of legislator preferences, and the evolution of the legislative agenda; this is especially helpful since generally it is appropriate to use estimates of extant methods (usually generated under assumptions of sincere voting) to test models embodying alternate assumpetions (e.g., log-rolling, party discipline). A Bayesian approach also provides a coherent framework for estimation and inference with roll call data that eludes extant methods; moreover, via Bayesian simulation methods., it is straightforward to generate uncertainty assesments or hypothesis tests concerning any auxiliary quantity of interests or to formally compare models. In a series of examples we show how our method is easilly extended to accomodate theorically interesting models of legislative behavior. our goal is to provide a statistical framework for combining the measurement of legislative preferences with tests of models of legislative behavior.
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