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Gay and Lesbian Rights as a "Mini" Issue Evolution
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Gay and Lesbian Rights as a “Mini” Issue Evolution
Michael Craw
James Madison College
Michigan State University
## email not listed ##
Abstract: Though political elites have taken increasingly distinct positions on cultural policy issues such as abortion, gun control and gay and lesbian rights in recent years, evidence for mass polarization across the parties on these issues has been mixed. I argue that mass polarization may begin with population groups that consider the issue more salient than others, resulting in a “mini” issue evolution in which members of these groups polarize on the issue and group members increasingly identify with one party or the other. Evaluating attitudes towards job nondiscrimination legislation for gays and lesbians, I find evidence that three sub-populations (religious conservatives, southern whites, and young adults) are both highly polarized on gay rights and increasingly identified with one of the two parties. This suggests that citizens within these groups may be changing party identification on the basis of gay rights and correlated issues, consistent with the issue evolution model.
Prepared for delivery at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,
September 1-4, 2005, Washington, DC. Copyright by the American Political Science
Association.
Introduction
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Gay and Lesbian Rights as a “Mini” Issue Evolution
Michael Craw
James Madison College
Michigan State University
Abstract: Though political elites have taken increasingly distinct positions on cultural policy
issues such as abortion, gun control and gay and lesbian rights in recent years, evidence for mass
polarization across the parties on these issues has been mixed. I argue that mass polarization may
begin with population groups that consider the issue more salient than others, resulting in a
“mini” issue evolution in which members of these groups polarize on the issue and group
members increasingly identify with one party or the other. Evaluating attitudes towards job
nondiscrimination legislation for gays and lesbians, I find evidence that three sub-populations
(religious conservatives, southern whites, and young adults) are both highly polarized on gay
rights and increasingly identified with one of the two parties. This suggests that citizens within
these groups may be changing party identification on the basis of gay rights and correlated
issues, consistent with the issue evolution model.
Prepared for delivery at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,
September 1-4, 2005, Washington, DC. Copyright by the American Political Science
Association.
Introduction
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