110th Senate Rank Ordering

110^th Senate Rank Ordering

Jeff Lewis and Keith Poole

2 January 2008

Below is the rank ordering of the 110^th Senate. This ordering was produced by the Optimal Classification (OC) algorithm described in:

"Non-Parametric Unfolding of Binary Choice Data." Political Analysis, 8:211-237, 2000.

The scaling program that performs the rank ordering along with some examples can be downloaded from:

Optimal Classification (OC) Scaling Program Page

To see how OC works in one dimension, go to this page:

How Optimal Classification Works in One Dimension

To see how OC works in two or more dimensions, go to this page:

How Optimal Classification Works in Two or More Dimensions (Under Construction)

There were 442 roll calls cast in the 110^th Senate as of 31 December 2007 of which 388 roll calls had at least 0.5% or better in the minority and were used in the scaling. The rank ordering is based upon these 388 roll calls. Note that tied ranks are allowed.

The overall correct classification is 92.3% with an aggregate proportional reduction in error of (APRE) .763. In the ordering below, the number just to the right of the Senator's name is the classification error and the number to the right of that is the total number of roll calls cast by the Senator. For example, placing Senator Kennedy at the rank of 5.0 only resulted in 25 classification errors out of a total of 355 votes cast. The proportion correct is 330/355 = .930 (which is shown just to the left of the rank).

The two parties are perfectly separated in the liberal-conservative ordering.

(To obtain the latest 110^th Senate Roll Call Matrix go to Jeff Lewis' Webserver. To obtain a Stata 7 version of the Roll Call Matrix go to the Data Download Page on this Server. )

(Two dimensional spatial maps of the last 50 Senate Roll calls are displayed here.)

(Senators Clinton, Obama, and McCain are compared here.)

(Ideological Rank Orderings of Recent Congresses: 110^th House, 109^th Senate, 109^th House, 108^th Senate, 108^th House, 107^th Senate, 107^th House. For Parametric Measures go to the Data Download Page. The 109^th Senate is the most polarized Senate since the end of Reconstruction.)

 110 49309 25  WISCONS D FEINGOLD      31  388   0.920   1.000
 110 14213  1  CONNECT D DODD           8  247   0.968   2.000
 110 29147  6  VERMONT I SANDERS       21  385   0.945   3.000
 110 40704  5  RHODE I D WHITEHOUSE     7  387   0.982   4.000
 110 10808  3  MASSACH D KENNEDY  ED   25  355   0.930   5.000
 110 15011 71  CALIFOR D BOXER         12  365   0.967   6.000
 110 14230 31  IOWA    D HARKIN        18  381   0.953   7.000
 110 29389 24  OHIO    D BROWN         11  380   0.971   8.000
 110 29142  5  RHODE I D REED          15  385   0.961   9.000
 110 14101 11  DELAWAR D BIDEN          5  239   0.979  10.500
 110 40502 21  ILLINOI D OBAMA          8  240   0.967  10.500
 110 29373 12  NEW JER D MENENDEZ      13  384   0.966  12.500
 110 14914 12  NEW JER D LAUTENBERG    10  384   0.974  12.500
 110 14920  3  MASSACH D KERRY  JOHN   18  370   0.951  14.000
 110 39310 73  WASHING D CANTWELL      18  383   0.953  15.500
 110 14871 72  OREGON  D WYDEN         17  379   0.955  15.500
 110 14912 66  NEW MEX D BINGAMAN      17  382   0.955  17.000
 110 29732 23  MICHIGA D STABENOW      20  386   0.948  18.000
 110 15054 65  NEVADA  D REID          17  388   0.956  20.000
 110 40105 13  NEW YOR D CLINTON        9  297   0.970  20.000
 110 14858 13  NEW YOR D SCHUMER       12  380   0.968  20.000
 110 14400 82  HAWAII  D AKAKA         18  387   0.953  23.000
 110 15021 21  ILLINOI D DURBIN         9  385   0.977  23.000
 110 49308 73  WASHING D MURRAY        11  384   0.971  23.000
 110 14307  6  VERMONT D LEAHY         23  387   0.941  26.000
 110 15408 52  MARYLAN D CARDIN        11  387   0.972  26.000
 110 15703 25  WISCONS D KOHL          15  388   0.961  26.000
 110 49300 71  CALIFOR D FEINSTEIN     21  375   0.944  28.000
 110  4812 82  HAWAII  D INOUYE        16  359   0.955  29.000
 110 49901 22  INDIANA D BAYH          56  383   0.854  30.000
 110 40703 14  PENNSYL D CASEY         19  388   0.951  32.000
 110 15704  1  CONNECT D LIEBERMAN     49  381   0.871  32.000
 110 14709 23  MICHIGA D LEVIN  CARL   15  385   0.961  32.000
 110 14651 43  FLORIDA D NELSON        22  382   0.942  34.000
 110 14440 52  MARYLAN D MIKULSKI      14  384   0.964  35.000
 110 15015 11  DELAWAR D CARPER        28  383   0.927  36.000
 110 40500 62  COLORAD D SALAZAR       23  388   0.941  37.000
 110 40700 33  MINNESO D KLOBUCHAR     22  386   0.943  38.500
 110 29305 42  ARKANSA D LINCOLN       27  370   0.927  38.500
 110 15502 36  NORTH D D CONRAD        22  384   0.943  40.000
 110 40706 40  VIRGINI D WEBB          30  386   0.922  41.000
 110 14922 56  WEST VI D ROCKEFELLER   23  367   0.937  42.000
 110 40701 34  MISSOUR D MCCASKILL     46  384   0.880  43.000
 110 14812 36  NORTH D D DORGAN        16  385   0.958  44.000
 110  1366 56  WEST VI D BYRD  ROBER   41  379   0.892  45.000
 110 40301 42  ARKANSA D PRYOR         30  388   0.923  46.000
 110 40702 64  MONTANA D TESTER        28  386   0.927  47.000
 110 14203 64  MONTANA D BAUCUS        24  388   0.938  48.000
 110 15425 37  SOUTH D D JOHNSON        2  122   0.984  49.000
 110 49702 45  LOUISIA D LANDRIEU      39  383   0.898  50.000
 110 40103 35  NEBRASK D NELSON  BEN   41  386   0.894  51.000
 110 14661  2  MAINE   R SNOWE         30  388   0.923  52.000
 110 49703  2  MAINE   R COLLINS       36  388   0.907  53.000
 110 49705 72  OREGON  R SMITH  GORD   49  386   0.873  54.000
 110 14910 14  PENNSYL R SPECTER       46  382   0.880  55.000
 110 40302 33  MINNESO R COLEMAN       35  375   0.907  56.000
 110 14506 22  INDIANA R LUGAR         62  386   0.839  57.000
 110 49903 24  OHIO    R VOINOVICH    103  381   0.730  58.000
 110 12109 81  ALASKA  R STEVENS       27  374   0.928  59.000
 110 40300 81  ALASKA  R MURKOWSKI     22  382   0.942  60.000
 110 14103 66  NEW MEX R DOMENICI      35  376   0.907  61.000
 110 14712 40  VIRGINI R WARNER        41  363   0.887  62.000
 110 14226 31  IOWA    R GRASSLEY      55  388   0.858  63.000
 110 14852 32  KANSAS  R ROBERTS       29  378   0.923  64.000
 110 14503 67  UTAH    R HATCH         34  380   0.911  65.000
 110 15501 34  MISSOUR R BOND          42  377   0.889  66.000
 110 40304 54  TENNESS R ALEXANDER     36  381   0.906  67.000
 110 29740  4  NEW HAM R SUNUNU        61  384   0.841  68.000
 110 40705 54  TENNESS R CORKER        40  386   0.896  69.000
 110 49306 49  TEXAS   R HUTCHISON     33  384   0.914  70.000
 110 14009 46  MISSISS R COCHRAN       35  384   0.909  71.000
 110 49307 67  UTAH    R BENNETT       40  384   0.896  72.000
 110 14809 63  IDAHO   R CRAIG         35  360   0.903  73.000
 110 29345 63  IDAHO   R CRAPO         28  370   0.924  74.500
 110 14031 46  MISSISS R LOTT          39  360   0.892  74.500
 110 49704 35  NEBRASK R HAGEL         81  370   0.781  76.000
 110 94659 41  ALABAMA R SHELBY        36  387   0.907  77.000
 110 14826  4  NEW HAM R GREGG         64  381   0.832  78.000
 110 40501 43  FLORIDA R MARTINEZ      49  383   0.872  79.000
 110 29523 32  KANSAS  R BROWNBACK     33  265   0.875  80.500
 110 14921 51  KENTUCK R MCCONNELL     27  387   0.930  80.500
 110 49700 41  ALABAMA R SESSIONS      36  377   0.905  82.000
 110 29754 37  SOUTH D R THUNE         38  387   0.902  83.500
 110 15633 68  WYOMING R THOMAS        11  134   0.918  83.500
 110 15406 51  KENTUCK R BUNNING       33  381   0.913  85.000
 110 40303 47  NORTH C R DOLE          36  375   0.904  86.500
 110 29918 45  LOUISIA R VITTER        33  371   0.911  86.500
 110 29566 48  SOUTH C R GRAHAM        39  377   0.897  88.000
 110 29909 44  GEORGIA R ISAKSON       21  379   0.945  89.000
 110 29512 44  GEORGIA R CHAMBLISS     25  382   0.935  90.000
 110 40707 68  WYOMING R BARASSO       14  198   0.929  91.000
 110 49706 68  WYOMING R ENZI          27  376   0.928  92.000
 110 40305 49  TEXAS   R CORNYN        15  381   0.961  93.000
 110 15039 61  ARIZONA R MCCAIN        18  165   0.891  94.000
 110 29108 62  COLORAD R ALLARD        20  380   0.947  95.000
 110 29548 47  NORTH C R BURR          22  379   0.942  96.000
 110 29537 65  NEVADA  R ENSIGN        29  376   0.923  97.000
 110 15429 61  ARIZONA R KYL           39  381   0.898  98.000
 110 15424 53  OKLAHOM R INHOFE        20  375   0.947  99.000
 110 29555 53  OKLAHOM R COBURN        21  356   0.941 100.000
 110 29936 48  SOUTH C R DEMINT        14  378   0.963 101.000

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