Congressional Memberships as Political Advertising: Evidence From the US Senate

Authors

Franklin G. Mixon Jr., University of Southern MississippiFollow
Rand W. Ressler, University of LouisianaFollow
M. Troy Gibson, University of Southern MississippiFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2003

Department

Political Science, International Development, and International Affairs

Abstract

The present article analyzes signaling by elected officials of moderate or centrist legislative behavior from a benefits/costs perspective. To do so, we provide statistical evidence regarding the tendency of senators to join the U.S. Senate Centrist Coalition, a congressional membership organization of moderate legislators. We find that changes in party loyalty, perhaps due to changes in constituent preferences, and U.S. Senate tenure are both important determinants of membership in the Centrist Coalition. Tests also point out that freshman senators are more likely than more senior senators to seek membership as a form of information provision.

Publication Title

Southern Economic Journal

Volume

70

Issue

2

First Page

414

Last Page

424

Recommended Citation

Mixon, F. G., Ressler, R. W., Gibson, M. T. (2003). Congressional Memberships as Political Advertising: Evidence From the US Senate. Southern Economic Journal, 70(2), 414-424.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/3172