The DOI matches its Crossref record; 94 of the 94 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Activists and Conflict Extension in American Party Politics
Abstract
Party activists have played a leading role in “conflict extension”—the polarization of the parties along multiple issue dimensions—in contemporary American politics. We argue that open nomination systems and the ambitious politicians competing within those systems encourage activists with extreme views on a variety of issue dimensions to become involved in party politics, thus motivating candidates to take noncentrist positions on a range of issues. Once that happens, continuing activists with strong partisan commitments bring their views into line with the new candidate agendas, thus extending the domain of interparty conflict. Using cross-sectional and panel surveys of national convention delegates, we find clear evidence for conflict extension among party activists, evidence tentatively suggesting a leading role for activists in partisan conflict extension more generally, and strong support for our argument about change among continuing activists. Issue conversion among activists has contributed substantially to conflict extension and party commitment has played a key role in motivating that conversion.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“At the same time, the extent to which elite-level polarization has influenced the belief systems of ordinary citizens remains a matter of debate8,27,35–40.”
From Cognitive–motivational mechanisms of political polarization in social-communicative contexts (2022) · cites this paper as [37]
In the citing paper
“Furthermore, partisanship exacerbates issue-based conflict27, and party activists are capable of pushing candidates to take more extreme positions on issues over time37.”
From Cognitive–motivational mechanisms of political polarization in social-communicative contexts (2022) · cites this paper as [37]
In the citing paper
“Historically speaking, polarization in the USA reflects social patterns that began with Southern realignment following civil rights legislation, the rise of single-issue interest groups, changes in campaign finance law, and the withdrawal of moderates from party politics and primary races, especially on the political right10,27,31,34,37,72,342,343).”
From Cognitive–motivational mechanisms of political polarization in social-communicative contexts (2022) · cites this paper as [37]
Citations
Cites
(1998) · Cited by 36,049
Investigating causal relations by econometric models and cross-spectral methods
Granger, C. W. J. (1969) · Econometrica · doi:10.2307/1912791 · Cited by 22,989
Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures.
Bentler, P. M., & Bonett, D. G. (1980) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.88.3.588 · Cited by 20,015
An Economic Theory of Democracy.
Banfield, E. C., & Downs, A. J. (1958) · Midwest Journal of Political Science · doi:10.2307/2109186 · Cited by 18,558
Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy
Fukuyama, F., & Schumpeter, J. A. (1997) · Foreign Affairs · doi:10.2307/20048211 · Cited by 15,349
Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy.
Robinson, J., & Schumpeter, J. A. (1943) · The Economic Journal · doi:10.2307/2226398 · Cited by 6,650
Eulau, H. H. F. (1960) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.2307/1952653 · Cited by 4,744
The Semisovereign People: A Realist's View of Democracy in America
Schattschneider, E. E. (1960) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 4,262
Elder, J. W., Geertz, C., & Rosenhack, K. P. S. (1964) · Cited by 3,878
A New Incremental Fit Index for General Structural Equation Models
Bollen, K. A. (1989) · Sociological Methods & Research · doi:10.1177/0049124189017003004 · Cited by 3,008
THE NATURE OF BELIEF SYSTEMS IN MASS PUBLICS
Converse, P. E. (2004) · Aarhus University Press eBooks · doi:10.2307/jj.35529187.18 · Cited by 2,497
Aldrich, J. H. (1995) · University of Chicago Press eBooks · doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226012773.001.0001 · Cited by 2,368
Legislative leviathan: party government in the House
(1993) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.31-0579 · Cited by 2,294
Polarized America: the dance of ideology and unequal riches
(2007) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.44-3551 · Cited by 1,793
(2004) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 1,673
(1982) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 1,583
Parties and Leaders in the Postreform House
Rohde, D. W. (1991) · University of Chicago Press eBooks · doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226724058.001.0001 · Cited by 1,392
Polarized America: The Dance of Ideology and Unequal Riches
Abrams, S. J. (2007) · Perspectives on Politics · doi:10.1017/s1537592707071873 · Cited by 1,367
Carmines, E. G., & Stimson, J. A. (1989) · Princeton University Press eBooks · doi:10.1515/9780691218250 · Cited by 1,338
Abramowitz, A. I., & Saunders, K. L. (2008) · The Journal of Politics · doi:10.1017/s0022381608080493 · Cited by 1,308
Gusfield, J. R., & Apter, D. E. (1966) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.2307/2091287 · Cited by 1,281
Cox, G. W., & McCubbins, M. D. (2005) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511791123 · Cited by 1,126
Jackson, B. O. (1990) · Political Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2151248 · Cited by 1,035
Boef, S. D., & Keele, L. J. (2008) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1111/j.1540-5907.2007.00307.x · Cited by 1,010
Setting the agenda: responsible party government in the U.S. House of Representatives
(2006) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.43-4315 · Cited by 915
Party Polarization and "Conflict Extension" in the American Electorate
Layman, G. C., & Carsey, T. M. (2002) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.2307/3088434 · Cited by 887
Self-citationPARTY POLARIZATION IN AMERICAN POLITICS: Characteristics, Causes, and Consequences
Layman, G. C., Carsey, T. M., & Horowitz, J. M. (2006) · Annual Review of Political Science · doi:10.1146/annurev.polisci.9.070204.105138 · Cited by 827
Self-citationAn Expository Development of a Mathematical Model of the Electoral Process
Davis, O. A., Hinich, M. J., & Ordeshook, P. C. (1970) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.2307/1953842 · Cited by 747
The great divide : religious and cultural conflict in American party politics
Layman, G. C. (2001) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 741
Self-citationIdeological Realignment in the U.S. Electorate
Abramowitz, A. I., & Saunders, K. L. (1998) · The Journal of Politics · doi:10.2307/2647642 · Cited by 681
Party Polarization in Congress
Theriault, S. M. (2008) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511790652 · Cited by 667
Carsey, T. M., & Layman, G. C. (2006) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1111/j.1540-5907.2006.00196.x · Cited by 633
Self-citationAnderson, T. W. (1957) · Journal of the American Statistical Association · doi:10.2307/2280845 · Cited by 597
Government policy and citizen passion: A study of issue publics in contemporary America
Krosnick, J. A. (1990) · Political Behavior · doi:10.1007/bf00992332 · Cited by 571
Smith, M. B., Campbell, A., Converse, P. E., Miller, W. E., & Stokes, D. (1961) · The American Journal of Psychology · doi:10.2307/1419686 · Cited by 559
The Party decides: presidential nominations before and after reform
(2009) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.46-4705 · Cited by 496
Polarized politics: Congress and the president in a partisan era
(2000) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.38-2423 · Cited by 483
A Downsian Spatial Model with Party Activism
Aldrich, J. H. (1983) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.2307/1957570 · Cited by 477
Beyond Ideology: Politics, Principles, and Partisanship in the U. S. Senate
Lee, F. E. (2009) · doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226470771.001.0001 · Cited by 455
Dynamics of the Party System: Alignment and Realignment of Political Parties in the United States
Hennessy, B. C., & Sundquist, J. L. (1974) · The Western Political Quarterly · doi:10.1177/106591297402700217 · Cited by 428
Off center: the Republican revolution and the erosion of American democracy
(2006) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.43-3686 · Cited by 425
Activists and Partisan Realignment in the United States
Miller, G. J., & Schofield, N. J. (2003) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.1017/s0003055403000650 · Cited by 403
Cohen, M., Karol, D., Noel, H., & Zaller, J. R. (2008) · University of Chicago Press eBooks · doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226112381.001.0001 · Cited by 402
Onward Christian soldiers?: the religious Right in American politics
(2011) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.48-4165 · Cited by 392
Sample Size and Bentler and Bonett's Nonnormed Fit Index
Bollen, K. A. (1986) · Psychometrika · doi:10.1007/bf02294061 · Cited by 390
Issue Conflict and Consensus among Party Leaders and Followers
McClosky, H., Hoffmann, P. J., & O'Hara, R. (1960) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.2307/1978302 · Cited by 384
Penniman, H. R. (1977) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.1017/s0003055400260012 · Cited by 373
Party Ideologies in America, 1828–1996
Gerring, J. (1998) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9781139174992 · Cited by 335
Reilly, S. (1985) · International Affairs · doi:10.2307/2618759 · Cited by 263
The Transformation of the Republican and Democratic Party Coalitions in the U.S.
Miller, G. J., & Schofield, N. J. (2008) · Perspectives on Politics · doi:10.1017/s1537592708081218 · Cited by 261
Party Position Change in American Politics
Karol, D. (2009) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511812620 · Cited by 258
Politics and Society in the South
Burckin, A. I., Black, E., & Black, M. (1992) · The History Teacher · doi:10.2307/494252 · Cited by 244
Diverging parties: social change, realignment, and party polarization
(2003) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.40-5491 · Cited by 241
Beyond ideology: politics, principles, and partisanship in the U.S. Senate
(2010) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.47-6541 · Cited by 241
Electoral realignments: a critique of an American genre
(2003) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.40-3693 · Cited by 238
The Political Culture of the Democratic and Republican Parties
Freeman, J. (1986) · Political Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2151619 · Cited by 235
Political Parties and the Winning of Office
Schlesinger, J. A. (1994) · University of Michigan Press eBooks · doi:10.3998/mpub.7811 · Cited by 226
Consequences of Party Reform, by Nelson W. Polsby
Cotter, C. P. (1983) · Political Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2149736 · Cited by 211
Party wars: polarization and the politics of national policy making
(2006) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.44-2391 · Cited by 207
The Rise of Partisanship and the Expansion of Partisan Conflict within the American Electorate
Brewer, M. D. (2005) · Political Research Quarterly · doi:10.1177/106591290505800203 · Cited by 204
PARTY WARS: POLARIZATION AND THE POLITICS OF NATIONAL POLICY MAKING
Taylor, C. (2006) · Oklahoma politics · Cited by 192
Aldrich, J. H. (1980) · University of Chicago Press eBooks · doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226922447.001.0001 · Cited by 188
Party ideologies in America, 1828-1996
Gerring, J. (1999) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.36-4759 · Cited by 180
Layman, G. C., & Carsey, T. M. (2002) · Political Behavior · doi:10.1023/a:1021820523983 · Cited by 174
Self-citationRedistricting and Party Polarization in the U.S. House of Representatives
Carson, J. L., Crespin, M. H., Finocchiaro, C. J., & Rohde, D. W. (2007) · American Politics Research · doi:10.1177/1532673x07304263 · Cited by 163
Ideological Realignment and Active Partisans in the American Electorate
Saunders, K. L., & Abramowitz, A. I. (2004) · American Politics Research · doi:10.1177/1532673x03259195 · Cited by 155
The Shrinking Middle in the US Congress
Fleisher, R., & Bond, J. R. (2004) · British Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1017/s0007123404000122 · Cited by 155
Politics and Society in the South
Howard, P. H., Black, E., & Black, M. (1988) · Contemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews · doi:10.2307/2069420 · Cited by 152
A spatial model with party activists: implications for electoral dynamics
Aldrich, J. H. (1983) · Public Choice · doi:10.1007/bf00124050 · Cited by 132
The Goldwater Phenomenon: Purists, Politicians, and the Two-Party System
Wíldavsky, A. (1965) · The Review of Politics · doi:10.1017/s0034670500005659 · Cited by 119
Kirkpatrick, J. J. (1975) · Cited by 115
Winning May Not Be Everything, But It's More than We Thought: Presidential Party Activists in 1980
Stone, W. J., & Abramowitz, A. I. (1983) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.2307/1957568 · Cited by 108
Political parties and the winning of office
(1992) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.29-2993 · Cited by 108
Masket, S. E. (2007) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1111/j.1540-5907.2007.00263.x · Cited by 104
Carmines, E. G. (1991) · Journal of Theoretical Politics · doi:10.1177/0951692891003001005 · Cited by 93
Ladd, E. C. (1988) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.2307/1958095 · Cited by 87
Ideology and Congress: A Political Economic History of Roll Call Voting
Poole, K. T., & Rosenthal, H. L. (2006) · Cited by 80
Motivation, Incentive Systems, and the Political Party Organization
Conway, M. M., & Feigert, F. B. (1968) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.2307/1953910 · Cited by 73
Interstate Migration and Electoral Politics
Gimpel, J. G., & Schuknecht, J. E. (2001) · The Journal of Politics · doi:10.1111/0022-3816.00065 · Cited by 72
Seligman, L. G., & Wilson, J. Q. (1962) · The Western Political Quarterly · doi:10.2307/445588 · Cited by 70
Lyndon B.Johnson: The Exercise of Power
Evans, R., & Novak, R. D. (1967) · Cited by 63
Split: Class and Cultural Divides in American Politics
Brewer, M. D., & Stonecash, J. M. (2007) · CQ Press eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781483330532 · Cited by 62
McCann, J. A. (1995) · The Journal of Politics · doi:10.2307/2960273 · Cited by 61
Elections and Activist Coalitions in the United States
Schofield, N. J., & Miller, G. J. (2007) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1111/j.1540-5907.2007.00265.x · Cited by 59
The Making of the President 1960
White, T. H. (1961) · Virtual Defense Library (Ministerio de Defensa) · Cited by 59
Piety and Politics: Evangelicals and Fundamentalists Confront the World
Walker, J., Neuhaus, R. J., & Cromartie, M. (1990) · Journal of Law and Religion · doi:10.2307/1051324 · Cited by 59
A model for disaggregating political change
Rapoport, R. B., & Stone, W. J. (1994) · Political Behavior · doi:10.1007/bf01498828 · Cited by 59
Mercedes, S. M., & Wilson, J. Q. (1963) · The American Catholic Sociological Review · doi:10.2307/3708520 · Cited by 35
Polsby, N. W. (2005) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195182965.001.0001 · Cited by 33
The Party Isn't Over: Incentives for Activism in the 1980 Presidential Nominating Campaign
Abramowitz, A. I., McGlennon, J. J., & Rapoport, R. B. (1983) · The Journal of Politics · doi:10.2307/2130422 · Cited by 31
The Understanding of Ideological Labels by Political Elites: A Research Note
Herrera, R. (1992) · The Western Political Quarterly · doi:10.1177/106591299204500412 · Cited by 26
Self-citationSieberer, U. (2006) · MADOC (University of Mannheim) · Cited by 25
Kennedy, D. E. (2000) · doi:10.1007/978-0-333-98420-8_5 · Cited by 12
Stone, W. J. (1991) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.2307/2111555 · Cited by 8
Research works printed but not linked: 7
- Oldfield, 1996, The Right and the Righteous
- 10.1080/01621459.1957.10501379 · DOI
- Poole, 2006, Ideology and Congress: 2nd
- Black, 2007, Divided America
- 10.2307/448823 · DOI
- Aldrich, 2001, Congress Reconsidered, 269
- Miller, 1986, Parties in Transition: A Longitudinal Study of Party Elites and Party Supporters
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The Nature and Origins of Misperceptions: Understanding False and Unsupported Beliefs About Politics
Flynn, D. J., Nyhan, B., & Reifler, J. (2017) · Political Psychology · doi:10.1111/pops.12394 · Cited by 1,183
A Theory of Political Parties: Groups, Policy Demands and Nominations in American Politics
Bawn, K., Cohen, M., Karol, D., Masket, S. E., Noel, H., & Zaller, J. R. (2012) · Perspectives on Politics · doi:10.1017/s1537592712001624 · Cited by 870
Media and Political Polarization
Prior, M. (2013) · Annual Review of Political Science · doi:10.1146/annurev-polisci-100711-135242 · Cited by 1,125
Why Do Partisan Media Polarize Viewers?
Levendusky, M. S. (2013) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1111/ajps.12008 · Cited by 587
Bias in Perceptions of Public Opinion among Political Elites
Broockman, D., & Skovron, C. (2017) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.1017/s0003055418000011 · Cited by 531
Metadata
- Authors
- LAYMAN, G. C., CARSEY, T. M., GREEN, J. C., HERRERA, R., & COOPERMAN, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Notre Dame (US)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- University of Akron (US)
- Arizona State University (US)
- University of Mary Washington (US)
- Corresponding author
- LAYMAN, GEOFFREY C.
- CARSEY, THOMAS M.
- GREEN, JOHN C.
- HERRERA, RICHARD
- COOPERMAN, ROSALYN
- Venue
- American Political Science Review
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2010-05
- Volume
- 104
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 324-346
- ISSN
- 0003-0554 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-5943
- OpenAlex
- W2107628037
- Cited by
- 348
- References
- 94
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 105.98
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Political Science Review (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Electoral Systems and Political Participation
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › American Political and Social Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Political Theory and Democracy
- Keywords
- party activists, interparty conflict, candidate positions, party commitment, partisan polarization, American party politics
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review