Bipartisanship: Does the General Public Really Care?

Description

Meeting Method:
In-Person

During this seminar we discussed the factors that influence bipartisanship and compromise, and their impact on the ability to govern. But the larger question is, “Does it really make a difference, does anybody really care?” There are currently two competing accounts of how citizens react to bipartisanship. Some scholars claim that citizens desire greater bipartisanship in Congress and punish legislators who are too partisan, while others argue that citizens punish same-party politicians for engaging in bipartisan cooperation. During this final session, we will explore the what, when and why citizens value bipartisanship. No guest for this session.