The Polarized American Electorate: The Rise of Partisan‐Ideological Consistency and Its Consequences.

The article presents evidence from American National Election Studies (ANES) survey which showed that correlations among ideological identification, issue positions, and party identification in the U.S. have increased dramatically within the electorate over the past half century. Topics discussed include partisan-ideological polarization among members of the public, the rise of partisan-ideological consistency within the American electorate, and consequences of partisan-ideological consistency. Also mentioned are issues that affected the ability to analyze partisan-ideological consistency over time.