l1-based Bayesian Ideal Point Model for Multidimensional Politics

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Shin, Sooahn; Lim, Johan; Park, Jong Hee
• 署名单位: Harvard University; Seoul National University (SNU); Seoul National University (SNU)
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0162-1459
• DOI: 10.1080/01621459.2024.2425461
• 发表日期: 2025
• 页码: 631-644
• 关键词: preferences; dimensions; nominate

摘要

Ideal point estimation methods in the social sciences lack a principled approach for identifying multidimensional ideal points. We present a novel method for estimating multidimensional ideal points based on l(1) distance. In the Bayesian framework, the use of l(1) distance transforms the invariance problem of infinite rotational turns into the signed perpendicular problem, yielding posterior estimates that contract around a small area. Our simulation shows that the proposed method successfully recovers planted multidimensional ideal points in a variety of settings including non-partisan, two-party, and multi-party systems. The proposed method is applied to the analysis of roll call data from the United States House of Representatives during the late Gilded Age (1891-1899) when legislative coalitions were distinguished not only by partisan divisions but also by sectional divisions that ran across party lines. Supplementary materials for this article are available online, including a standardized description of the materials available for reproducing the work.