Duguid, M. & Goncalo, J., “Living Large: The Powerful Overestimate Their Own Height,” Psychological Science (forthcoming).
How Gingrich changed politics
One of the most remarkable political stories of 2011 was Newt Gingrich’s comeback in the Republican primary campaign, from disintegration to leading the pack. It was especially surprising because most people, even Republicans, don’t seem to think of Gingrich as a model. However, those people may be overlooking the fact that, next to Ronald Reagan, Gingrich has arguably been the most influential figure in contemporary Republican politics. Just how influential? In a recent study, political scientists at the University of Texas and Duke University found that Republicans who were first elected to the House of Representatives during Gingrich’s tenure and were later elected to the Senate--what the political scientists call “Gingrich Senators”--are largely responsible for the increasing polarization of the Senate, notwithstanding its reputation as the more deliberative body. Not only do Gingrich Senators have “substantially more conservative voting records” than other Republicans who entered the Senate at the same time, but differences in constituency or electoral factors cannot explain the effect. Nor is there a similar pattern on the Democratic side.
Theriault, S. & Rohde, D., “The Gingrich Senators and Party Polarization in the U.S. Senate,” Journal of Politics (October 2011).
A good reason not to value your time
