Abstract: In this paper, I examine the relationship between the size of a party’s delegation in Congress and the party median voter. The Polsby Paradox indicates that when the Democrats (Republicans) gains seats in Congress, the party median voter should be more conservative (liberal) – so the larger the party delegation, the further its party median moves away from its “base”. Data indicate that these propositions hold for the Democrats but not the Republicans. This distinction, then, leads to a discussion of asymmetric polarisation in the US Congress.

Thomas L. Brunell is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Texas at Dallas. He studies representation, elections, political behaviour and political institutions, and has published widely on these issues. He published a book titled "Representation and Redistricting: Why Competitive Elections are Bad for America”. In addition to his scholarly work, he has also testified in federal and state courts around the United States on issues related to redistricting and the Voting Rights Act. Tom was an APSA Congressional Fellow in 1998-99, where he served on the House Subcommittee on the Census.

Lunch will be provided at the seminar after the Q&A session.