Contextual Models of Participation in U.S. State Legislative Elections

The analysis of turnout in state legislative elections is a relatively novel subject of inquiry that ought to be pursued. A contextual model of electoral participation provides a useful alternative to aggregate models of turnout in other elections that emphasize socioeconomic factors. The empirical success of the contextual model compares favorably with that of models employing aggregate socioeconomic data or individual level survey data. Nevertheless, Caldeira and Patterson's analysis raises even more questions about contextual models of turnout in state legislative elections than it