B-Call: Integrating Ideological Position and Political Cohesion in Legislative Voting Models

TL;DR

This paper introduces B-Call, a novel model that integrates ideological positions and legislative cohesion to better analyze voting behaviors across different countries.

Contribution

It presents a unified methodology combining ideological and cohesion measures, validated with data from multiple countries, filling a key gap in legislative voting analysis.

Findings

Effective in diverse legislative contexts

Captures complex voting behaviors

Provides a two-dimensional legislative indicator

Abstract

This paper combines two significant areas of political science research: measuring individual ideological position and cohesion. Although both approaches help analyze legislative behaviors, no unified model currently integrates these dimensions. To fill this gap, the paper proposes a methodology called B-Call that combines ideological positioning with voting cohesion, treating votes as random variables. The model is empirically validated using roll-call data from the United States, Brazil, and Chile legislatures, which represent diverse legislative dynamics. The analysis aims to capture the complexities of voting and legislative behaviors, resulting in a two-dimensional indicator. This study addresses gaps in current legislative voting models, particularly in contexts with limited party control.