Causes for Political Partisanship in Michigan: A Case Study for a National Discussion on the Partisan Divide in American Politics

My thesis is focused on the origins of political partisanship in Michigan state politics. Reasons for partisanship are often attributed to large events that are very polarizing but do not fully explain the reasons for political polarization. Analysis of voting patterns are often disjointed, unconnected to larger contexts for analysis and not used to explain partisanship. Many people complain about partisanship and blame Newt Gingrich or Bill Clinton or the rise of the 24 hour media cycle. I think it would be helpful to pinpoint the causes of partisanship in a smaller political setting and identify its causes. If partisanship on the state level can be understood, then partisanship on the national level might be better understood. Michigan is an excellent candidate to study because it has a professionalized state legislature and it has a unique system of term limits. By understanding the causes for partisanship on the state level, the reasons for partisanship on the national level may be more evident; thus leading to a national discussion on improving the democratic process in our country.

Author

• Weber, Ethan Timothy

Language

• en

Keyword

• Michigan
• Partisanship
• Campaign Finance
• Redistricting
• Term Limits

Date created

• 2012

Type of Work

• Master's Thesis

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Political Management

Degree

• M.P.S.

Advisor

• Billet, Steven

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/k0698757d