Jamie Carson

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    In 2020, Senate elections were nationalized elections. The Georgia runoffs could be too.

In 2020, Senate elections were nationalized elections. The Georgia runoffs could be too.

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While the Democratic Party was successful in retaking the White House in the 2020 elections, it was unable to gain a majority in the US Senate. Ryan Williamson and Jamie Carson find that Senate elections have become largely nationalized: there was little variation on average between the electoral success of Democratic Senate candidates and that of Joe Biden in […]

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    Why did Democrats lose seats in the 2020 elections? More incumbents ran in more competitive districts.

Why did Democrats lose seats in the 2020 elections? More incumbents ran in more competitive districts.

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Despite expectations that they would ride Joe Biden’s successful presidential election coattails to an increased majority in the US House of Representatives, the Democrats are likely to find themselves with a reduced majority heading into the 117th Congress. Ryan Williamson and Jamie Carson write that moderates likely lost their seats in this election because they were defending very competitive […]

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    The story of the midterms is the triumph of the moderates – on both sides

The story of the midterms is the triumph of the moderates – on both sides

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Following this week’s midterm elections, in 2019 the Democratic Party will be in the majority in the US House of Representatives. Ryan Williamson and Jamie Carson have previously argued that more moderate Democratic candidates were more likely to win House seats. Analyzing the midterm results, they find that this year Democratic candidates who were more moderate were indeed able […]

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    Why taking moderate positions may help the Democrats to retake the House this fall.

Why taking moderate positions may help the Democrats to retake the House this fall.

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Partisan polarization has steadily increased in recent decades, culminating in record highs in recent years. In new research, Jamie Carson and Ryan Williamson compare the ideology of winning and losing candidates in US House elections between 1992 and 2012. They find that winning candidates are much less ideologically extreme than those who lose elections. Though some districts prefer more […]

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    Despite party pressures, House members’ support for their leadership in procedural votes is not guaranteed.

Despite party pressures, House members’ support for their leadership in procedural votes is not guaranteed.

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Control of the floor agenda in the U.S. House of Representatives is integral if the majority party wishes to achieve its political and electoral aims. In new research, Jamie L. Carson, Michael H. Crespin, and Anthony J. Madonna find that parties will call on their members’ support during important procedural votes – which influence what is discussed, and the […]

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    Michelle Nunn’s midterm result shows that Georgia’s demographics may be shifting to favor the Democrats.

Michelle Nunn’s midterm result shows that Georgia’s demographics may be shifting to favor the Democrats.

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In Georgia’s Senate race Republican David Purdue defeated Democrat Michelle Nunn by nearly eight points, despite polling that had shown a much closer contest. Jamie L. Carson, Joel Sievert, and Ryan D. Williamson reflect on Georgia’s midterm election results, writing that in gaining more than 40 percent of the vote, Nunn outperformed many previous Democratic candidates in the state. […]

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    In Georgia, Michelle Nunn faces an uphill climb to flip the Senate race for the Democrats.

In Georgia, Michelle Nunn faces an uphill climb to flip the Senate race for the Democrats.

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While speculation is increasing about the likelihood of a Republican ‘wave’ in this year’s midterm elections, Georgia’s open Senate seat could well be a spanner in the works for the GOP. Jamie Carson writes that Democrat Michelle Nunn is more or less tied with Republican David Perdue, in a Senate race that has seen millions in outside spending funneled […]

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    In order to increase competition in U.S. House races, states should look to extra-legislative bodies to redraw congressional boundaries.

In order to increase competition in U.S. House races, states should look to extra-legislative bodies to redraw congressional boundaries.

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Politicians and pundits alike regularly bemoan the lack of electoral competition in congressional races as incumbent reelection rates frequently soar to over 90 percent. Redistricting and gerrymandering are often blamed as a way to lock members into their seats for at least a decade.  Jamie L. Carson, Michael H. Crespin and Ryan D. Williamson ask if there are ways […]

Republican advantages in candidate recruitment in 2010 have led to an increasingly polarized House of Representatives.

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In 2010, the Republican Party regained the House of Representatives, gaining 63 seats from the Democrats. Jamie L. Carson and Stephen Pettigrew take a close look at what fueled this near unprecedented gain, as well as Republican victories in the Senate. They argue that rising unemployment, President Obama’s declining approval ratings across the board, and the Republican ability to field […]

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