The party effect from A to Z and beyond

The origin of this pair of notes is a study that was not party centered bur rather noted that a null hypothesis of no majority party effect could not be refuted. By changing the dependent and/or independent variables of the o riginal study, however, Binder, Lawrence, and Maltzman (1999) find evidence of such an effect. This comment accepts their findings as evidence of majo rity party influence but questions the durability and robustness of the so- called party effect. Durability is questioned because there is little evide nce of an outcome-consequential nature. Robustness is questioned because th e findings are sensitive to measures and to model specification. Finally, t he conclusion highlights the need for an explicit, formal, outcome-conseque ntial theory of majority party strength.