Winning platforms match House votes more closely than laws
Source. Comparative Agendas Project, platforms, laws, roll calls
Method and data
Method. The overlap index of Exhibit 2, computed against House roll calls with a policy topic in the Comparative Agendas Project roll-call file (chamber coded 1 through the 116th Congress and House from the 117th).
| Election | Winning party | Next Congress | House roll calls with a topic | Public laws (non-commemorative) | Winner’s overlap with House roll calls | Winner’s overlap with laws |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | D | 81 | 274 | 817 | 54.4 | 37.3 |
| 1952 | R | 83 | 147 | 757 | 67.7 | 47.6 |
| 1956 | R | 85 | 193 | 870 | 75.6 | 56.8 |
| 1960 | D | 87 | 240 | 827 | 74.6 | 52.6 |
| 1964 | D | 89 | 394 | 761 | 73 | 52 |
| 1968 | R | 91 | 443 | 628 | 70.7 | 64.2 |
| 1972 | R | 93 | 1,078 | 592 | 63.4 | 60.1 |
| 1976 | D | 95 | 1,540 | 574 | 71.7 | 58.1 |
| 1980 | R | 97 | 812 | 367 | 65.9 | 54.2 |
| 1984 | R | 99 | 890 | 378 | 69.5 | 56.5 |
| 1988 | R | 101 | 879 | 392 | 64.2 | 55.3 |
| 1992 | D | 103 | 1,094 | 317 | 59.1 | 49.9 |
| 1996 | D | 105 | 1,166 | 354 | 62.8 | 50.2 |
| 2000 | R | 107 | 990 | 300 | 66.3 | 53.2 |
| 2004 | R | 109 | 1,209 | 354 | 66.7 | 53.5 |
| 2008 | D | 111 | 1,649 | 378 | 62.7 | 53.4 |
| 2012 | D | 113 | 1,201 | 220 | 62.3 | 57.4 |
| 2016 | R | 115 | 1,133 | 424 | 71.2 | 71 |
| 2020 | D | 117 | 996 | 254 | 68.5 | 61.8 |
