We study the effect of divisions within the elite on the probability of internal conflict in the
Papal States between 1295 and 1846. We assemble a new database using information on …

We analyze the constituency bases of the congressional parties from 1857 through 1913 by
focusing on two key concepts: party homogeneity and party polarization. With a few notable …

This study analyses legislative voting in the first ten Canadian Parliaments (1867–1908).
The results demonstrate that party unity in the House of Commons dramatically increased …

Bargaining theory predicts that as a political system's polarization increases, parties have
fewer opportunities to form coalitions without resorting to elections, inducing constraints on …

In 1271, with the papal throne vacant for over two years, local officials locked the cardinals of
the Catholic Church in a room, forcing them to select a new pope. From this inauspicious …

We model how coalition-based politics determines the intensity of religious persecution and
violence. A coalition of elites provides political support to the ruler and, in exchange, the …

What explains the development of legislative party voting unity? Evidence from the United
States and Britain indicate that partisan sorting, cohort replacement effects, electoral …

In this paper, we analyze the roll call voting behavior of those House and Senate members
who changed their party affiliation during the course of their political career. We analyze …

Political coalitions and their interaction with the Crown were central to political dynamics in
England from 1660 to 1715. This paper introduces a new database of political affiliations of …

In the early part of the XIX century, American politics had a local flavor. Weak parties proved
incapable of articulating national political identities and Congress operated in large part …