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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Electoral Mandates In American Politics, Lawrence J. Grossback, David A. M. Peterson, James A. Stimson Oct 2007

Electoral Mandates In American Politics, Lawrence J. Grossback, David A. M. Peterson, James A. Stimson

David A. M. Peterson

Political science has not come to terms with the idea of electoral mandates. The discipline's view is a hodgepodge of competing claims. In this article we review the empirical issues about mandates asking whether or not mandates occur and with what effect. We observe evidence of mandates as social constructions, as dialogues in the Washington community and in the press which serves it.We find that these dialogues accurately reflect election results – consensus emerges from actual sweeping election victories and not from mere strategic attempts to claim policy mandates. We find that Congress is highly responsive to the consensus interpretation. …


Theoretical And Empirical Implications Of Attitude Strength, Joanne M. Miller, David A. M. Peterson Aug 2004

Theoretical And Empirical Implications Of Attitude Strength, Joanne M. Miller, David A. M. Peterson

David A. M. Peterson

Attitude strength is defined as the extent to which an attitude is stable, resistant to change, impacts information processing, and guides behavior. Several concepts, such as accessibility, ambivalence, and importance relate to the broader concept of strength. For many years, both social psychology and political science ignored the differences across these various concepts, though in different ways. Social psychologists treated them as interchangeable, as indicators of the same latent concept. Political scientists treated them in isolation, focusing on one type of strength and ignoring the other, possibly relevant types. Recent research in both fields, however, challenges these approaches. Indicators of …


Sounding The American Heart: Cultural Politics, Country Music, And Contemporary American Film, Barbara Ching Jan 2001

Sounding The American Heart: Cultural Politics, Country Music, And Contemporary American Film, Barbara Ching

Barbara Ching

"When you hear twin fiddles and a steel guitar, you're listening to the sound of the American heart," sings a young boy's faltering voice in the opening frame of Christopher Cain's Pure Country (1992). The words of this song ("Heartland") assure us that while we listen to this music we "still know wrong from right." 1 This opening sequence thus celebrates its viewers as it stakes a claim to both the film's and country music's power to unequivocally represent the best qualities (the "pure") of the United States (the "country"). When placed in a history of the relationship between film …


Introduction To "Religious Institutions And Minor Parties In The United States", Christopher P. Gilbert, David A. M. Peterson, Timothy R. Johnson, Paul Djupe Jan 1999

Introduction To "Religious Institutions And Minor Parties In The United States", Christopher P. Gilbert, David A. M. Peterson, Timothy R. Johnson, Paul Djupe

David A. M. Peterson

In the elections of November 1996 and November 1997, the residents of St. Peter, Minnesota, had the opportunity to consider two political newcomers. These candidates-Ruth Johnson and Dan Stratton-had much in common beyond the fact that neither had run previously for elected office. Both candidates had a strong and long-standing interest in politics and public affairs. Both sought prestige positions-Johnson wanted the vacant state legislative seat, while Stratton challenged for mayor of St. Peter. Both were relatively unknown to the general public. Finally, both candidates had connections to the local liberal arts college; Johnson was an alumnus serving in administration, …


Nonparametric Event Study Tests, Arnold R. Cowan Jan 1992

Nonparametric Event Study Tests, Arnold R. Cowan

Arnold R. Cowan

This paper provides the first documentation of the power and specification of the generalized sign test, which is based on the percentage of positive abnormal returns in an estimation period. In simulations using daily stock return data, the generalized sign test is well specified with both exchange listed and Nasdaq stocks. A rank test is more powerful under ideal conditions. However, the rank test is more sensitive to increases in the length of the event window, to increases in return variance and to thin trading. The generalized sign test is a viable alternative to the rank test under these conditions.