AN EXPLANATION FOR WHY SENATORS FROM THE SAME STATE VOTE DIFFERENTLY SO FREQUENTLY

This paper explains why rational, well-informed voters elect politicia ns with divergent platforms. Given well-defined constituencies and the costliness of any individual politician creating transfers across all interest groups, we show that different politicians from the same dis trict can successfully represent vastly different constituencies and s till have each politician producing the support-maximizing level of tr ansfers. Our explanation focuses on how obtaining wealth transfers red uces successful constituencies' returns to obtaining additional transf ers. The evidence strongly rejects alternative explanations based upon the median voter and 'polarized policy preference' approaches.