Ideological heterogeneity at the aggregate level is crucial for understanding legislative and electoral politics. Previous studies noted differences in behavior between members of heterogeneous versus homogeneous constituencies, but empirical testing was hindered by a lack of effective measurement tools.

To address this gap, we developed a novel measurement model specifically designed to capture ideological diversity across large scales. Our method successfully generated estimates for 50 U.S. states and all 435 congressional districts.

Constituency Ideology

Our approach provides quantifiable measures of ideological heterogeneity that can be applied flexibly in various political contexts, enabling more robust empirical analysis.

Findings

* We demonstrate how our measurement captures the true diversity within different political units (states and districts).

* The estimates reveal meaningful variation across U.S. states and congressional districts.

Why It Matters

This new methodology allows researchers to more accurately test theories about how ideological heterogeneity influences political behavior.