Schooling the parties: the effect of the education realignment on LGBTQ+ party position taking in the US House of Representatives

Abstract

ABSTRACT Much has been made of the ongoing partisan realignment of college-educated voters from the Republican to the Democratic Party, particularly the shift among college-educated whites. Less attention has been paid to how this realignment affects the nature of both the Republican and Democratic parties and the policies for which each advocate. This paper investigates the effect of this realignment on one policy area: LGBTQ+ issues, a policy area in which there is a significant difference in public opinion between college-educated and non-college-educated Americans. Using data on congressional activity on LGBTQ+ issues from 2005 to 2019, I test the effect of the education realignment in this policy area through both elite replacement and conversion. I find there is greater evidence for the realignment affecting party position taking through replacement, as a significant number of pro-LGBTQ+ Republicans and anti-LGBTQ+ Democrats were swept out of office in recent years. This furthers polarization on LGBTQ+ issues.