Models of electoral competition in which candidates can change position at no cost predict the convergence of platforms in a two-candidate election. Such convergence is at odds with empirical observation. In this paper, I undertake a study of candidate positioning in the United States Senate and...

America’s ‘infatuation with homeownership’ has been identified as one cause of the latest financial crisis. Based on codings of 1809 party manifestos in 19 countries since 1945, this article addresses the question of where the political ideal to democratize homeownership came from. While...