A Means to an End: How Parties Use Polarization to Minimize Political Competition

• In Event: Representation in American Politics

Brief Overview

This paper explores a model to explain political polarization in a two-party system. I use Ua Cournot duopoly model to show that parties compete for voters by differentiating ideological platforms, creating more inelastic demand for their brand.

Author

• Lisa Helga Kinspergher, Duke University