#  Sam Fuller (APRW) 

 



####  calendar\_today Date and Time 

 **February 17, 2026** 

 12:00PM - 02:00PM EST 

####  pin\_drop Location 

 **CGIS Knafel room K354**  



 

 [ Join via Zoom arrow\_circle\_right ](https://harvard.zoom.us/j/99320596113) 

 



 

### Speaker & Title

Sam Fuller, "Symbolic and Operational Ideology in Models of Spatial Voting: Evidence from U.S. Presidential Elections 1972–2024"

### Abstract

Do voters use symbolic or operational ideology—or some mixture of both—to determine their vote? This paper attempts to answer this long running question by estimating the ideological positions of respondents and presidential candidates using the American National Election Study from 1972 to 2024. We estimate operational and symbolic ideology using alpha-NOMINATE and hierarchical Bayesian Aldrich-McKelvey scaling, respectively. Our analysis examines how the relationship between these two dimensions, and partisanship, evolves through the era of party polarization. We also examine how symbolic and operational ideology predict presidential vote choice and compare the explanatory power to both partisanship and partisan affect. In doing so, the paper evaluates if spatial models of voting are still useful for understanding electoral behavior in a polarized party system. Finally, our paper contributes to ongoing discussions of ideological constraint, partisan sorting, and the relationship between ideology and partisanship in the American electorate.



 

The American Politics Research Workshop (Gov 3004) meets all academic year, Tuesdays, 12:00–2:00 PM, in CGIS K354. This workshop presents an opportunity for graduate students and Harvard faculty to present and receive feedback on their current research. The workshop highlights key theoretical and empirical findings from Harvard affiliates on topics related to American politics.

All interested Harvard affiliates are invited to attend. Lunch will be provided.



 

 



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