Electoral Proximity and Issue-Specific Responsiveness.

This article investigates whether electoral proximity—the nearness of an election—increases state legislators' responsiveness to their constituents by exploiting a natural experiment in four U.S. state senates (Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, and Texas) where term lengths (two or four years) are randomly assigned. Using over 2,000 roll-call votes categorized by issue area and survey data measuring constituency preferences, the study finds no statistically significant difference in legislative responsiveness between legislators with shorter versus longer terms, including on specific high-profile votes in the Illinois State Senate such as medical marijuana legalization and same-sex marriage. The results hold across states with varying levels of legislative professionalization and suggest that electoral timing does not causally affect how closely state legislators align their roll-call votes with constituent opinions. These findings contribute to literature on electoral incentives and representation by providing evidence that elections may not enhance incumbent responsiveness at the state legislative level.