The micro and macro determinants of senator evaluations: a multilevel analysis using the 1988-1992 senate elections studies

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis research is to examine the contextual and individual respondent influences of senator evaluations and the implications of the variation in these evaluations. Using a multilevel model, the macro-level and micro-level determinants of senator evaluations are examined using three different sets of questions: thermometer ratings, senator likes and dislikes, and measures of senator contact or exposure. The main theoretical bodies of literature that are drawn upon for the micro-level are the candidate evaluation research and for the macro-level are the senator image and constituency service studies. The findings suggest that the thermometer ratings of the senator do not drop significantly during the governing stages of the election cycle and that these ratings are largely a function of individual survey respondent characteristics. The examination of senator likes and dislikes shows that the governing stage does significantly reduce the articulation of specific likes and dislikes which suggests that senators may shape this measure more than the other measures. The number of contacts or amount of exposure demonstrate the largest senator and state mediating effects. Taken together, the findings suggest that senator evaluations are largely a function of individual or micro-level characteristics, that senator's home style plays a small role, and that the state-level characteristics such as the size of the electorate mediates these effects.