Cooperation in Polarized Legislatures: Learning from the Case of the Texas State House of Representatives

Abstract Political work requires alliance building, but antagonism and divisions dominate legislatures and society in many democracies. How do legislators handle being pulled in both directions simultaneously? We use the anthropological method of ethnography and the political science method of network analysis and show how their combination enhances understanding of cross-party cooperation among Representatives even when such work is not depicted in the media and may clash with expectations of constituents. This interdisciplinary project utilizes a case study of the Texas House of Representatives, which provides a tough case for cooperation given the intense polarization of the state’s politics. Through observational and interview research methods of anthropology, we discovered how and why Representatives work across party lines. We then used network analysis to assess what traits of Representatives are associated with bill coauthoring and joint authoring to systematically measure cooperation. More senior Representatives, Hispanic, African American, and Asian Representatives but not women, and Representatives who join a bipartisan caucus most often build networks across party lines.