Candidate Extremism and Electoral Design in U.S. State Legislative Elections

Abstract

Objective: This study examines the association between the electoral systems used in U.S. state legislative elections and candidate ideological dispersion. Previous work suggests that, under certain conditions, greater district magnitude has a centrifugal polarizing effect on candidate ideology. Cross-national investigations of this theory have produced conflicting results. Methods: Building on this body of research, this paper leverages electoral system variation in U.S. state legislative elections to evaluate whether district-level electoral system variation influences candidate ideology. Results: We find strong evidence for a polarizing relationship between district magnitude on candidate ideology, even under plurality voting. Conclusion: This paper has significant implications for our understanding of candidate ideological positioning in sub-national contexts as well of how electoral systems affect the quality of representation voters receive from legislators.