Culture Wars in the Congressional Theater: How the U.S. House of Representatives Legislates Morality, 1993–1998

Objective . This article explores the politics of cultural conflict in the U.S. House of Representatives (1993–1998) by analyzing legislator decision making on reproductive issues. Because reproductive policies represent a major contemporary cultural cleavage between feminists and religious traditionalists, decision making should be influenced by elite – and district –level variables reflective of culture. Methods . Pro –choice support scores are derived and, using OLS, are regressed on elite – and district –level cultural and noncultural variables. Results . Republican partisanship and elite ideological and religious conservatism produce low levels of support for pro –choice reproductive policies. Conclusions . Cultural theory is a useful lens through which to view congressional politics. In the area of reproductive policy, legislator decision making is influenced by an array of cultural considerations.