Math and politics Interesting article
Math and politics
Interesting article in Slate on the polarization of politics. Apparently, some math wizards have come up with a way to “map” the political spectrum in a mathematically precise way (using roll call votes). The data shows that the current congress is significantly polarized but what is interesting is that this seems to be the norm (the exceptions seem to be the 1950’s and civil rights and period leading up to the Civil War).
One interesting thing to note is the consistency of voting patterns. A politician’s place on the spectrum accurately predicts votes more than 80% of the time. This is further proof of something opponents of campaign finance have been saying: money doesn’t buy politicians. If a simple left-right spectrum can predict 80% of votes then clearly money is not the major factor in why a person votes a certain way on an issue (neither are constituents) or these votes would change as money flowed over a long career. This seems one more indication that politicians are not necessarily sleazy moneygrubbers who shift with the wind but rather people with set ideas about government (and human beings subject to group pressure and leadership). Unfortunately, it also likely means that politicians are not particularly open minded or likely to change.
