Congress: A Political-economic History of Roll Call Voting - Hardcover

"For any researcher contemplating an investigation of congressional roll call voting behavior, Poole and Rosenthal's book is a "must read." Their approach is unique and differs from that adhered to by many economists....Their work is well known among political scientists and deserves to be known by economists and historians as well."--The Journal of Economic History"The book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of roll-call voting and the careful analysis of legislator ideology."-- ac Heckelman, Department of Economics, Wake Forest University "For any researcher contemplating an investigation of congressional roll call voting behavior, Poole and Rosenthal's book is a "must read." Their approach is unique and differs from that adhered to by many economists....Their work is well known among political scientists and deserves to be known by economists and historians as well."--The Journal of Economic History "The book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of roll-call voting and the careful analysis of legislator ideology."-- ac Heckelman, Department of Economics, Wake Forest University "For any researcher contemplating an investigation of congressional roll call voting behavior, Poole and Rosenthal's book is a "must read." Their approach is unique and differs from that adhered to by many economists....Their work is well known among political scientists and deserves to be known by economists and historians as well."--The Journal of Economic History "The book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of roll-call voting and the careful analysis of legislator ideology."-- ac Heckelman, Department of Economics, Wake Forest University "For any researcher contemplating an investigation of congressional roll call voting behavior, Poole and Rosenthal's book is a "must read." Their approach is unique and differs from that adhered to by many economists....Their work is well known among political scientists and deserves to be known byeconomists and historians as well."--The Journal of Economic History"The book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of roll-call voting and the careful analysis of legislator ideology."--ac Heckelman, Department of Economics, Wake Forest University

Using supercomputers, the authors have analysed 16 million individual roll call votes since the two Houses of Congress began recording votes in 1789. By tracing the voting patterns of Congress throughout the country's history, Poole and Rosenthal find that, despite a wide array of issues facing legislators, over 80 per cent of a legislator's voting decisions can be attributed to a consistent ideological position ranging from ultraconservatixm to ultraliberalism.