Does preference intensity matter? Reexamining policy representation in the American states

Abstract Preference intensity may play an important role in shaping mass political behavior, yet existing empirical scholarship on representation typically relies on survey measures that capture public opinion in terms of preference directionality without intensity. We use a variety of measures—not only the standard Likert and “most important policy” items but also the quadratic voting method—to reassess responsiveness and congruence of a diverse set of American state policies that vary in issue areas and salience. Across multiple novel measures of individual policy preferences, we consistently find that state-level preference intensity does not reliably predict actual policy outcomes. We contribute new evidence that the lack of policy representation in the American states remains—even if preference intensity is systematically integrated into the empirical analysis.