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.