Assessing Constituency Influence: Congressional Voting on the Nuclear Freeze, 1982-83

Abstract

Using a logistical regression model and an analysis of the legislative history of the nuclear freeze proposals in the U.S. House of Representatives, this paper disputes previous findings and argues that constituency preferences exercised considerable influence on the disposition of the freeze issue. This influence was visible at the roll-call stage in 1982 and at earlier stages of the legislative process in 1983.