Macropartisanship

• DOI: 10.2307/1961661
• Publication Date: 2006-05-06T10:51:25Z
• Authors: Michael B. MacKuen; Robert S. Erikson; James A. Stimson
• Keywords: 05 social sciences; 0506 political science

From an early, incorrect consensus that party identification was free of the short-term influences political life, its aggregate, macropartisanship, drew little scholary notice. Though typically seen as a biennial time series, appears essentially constant, our quarterly treatment demonstrates substantial and notably systematic movement this crucial barometer U.S. system. We demonstrate it varies systematically with respect to time, has electoral consequences, can be modeled function economic evaluations approval incumbent presidential administration. Macropartisanship, we argue, is variable like others, subject routine ebb flow citizens in aggregate reflect their experiences politics onto parties. Its medium-term movements considerable magnitude are lasting enough matter but occur without connoting shifts underlying system understood invoking crises convulsions realignment theory.