New Study Names Top Ten Independents In Congress
MADISON — Following in the footsteps of his mentor, former Wisconsin Senator Bill Proxmire, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind recently was named to the top 10 list of independent “mavericks” in the 111th Congress in a newly- published academic paper.
According to report by The Washington Independent, Ben Lauderdale, from Princeton’s Department of Politics, defined independent mavericks on Capitol Hill as members who vote “less on the basis of the political dimension that predicts all legislators’ behavior and more on particularistic factors unique to themselves.” In simpler terms, as Politics Daily reported, an independent maverick’s voting reflects a willingness to support or oppose legislation on specific policy grounds instead of partisan considerations.
Using that definition, Lauderdale used statistical analysis to develop an overall “maverick score” for members of Congress. According to the research, the Third District’s Ron Kind is one of the top ten independent “mavericks” in the house.
The top 10 list includes:
1. Ron Paul (R-Tex.)
2. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)
3. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.)
4. Bobby Bright (D-Ala.)
5. Ron Kind (D-Wis.)
6. Tim Johnson (R-Ill.)
7. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.)
8. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho)
9. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.)
10. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)
“Some politicians brag about being mavericks,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate said Friday. “In Ron Kind, the voters of the Third Congressional District have the real deal.”
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