Replication Data for: Ambition and Conflict in State Legislatures

Many state legislators aspire to become members of Congress. We argue that this progressive ambition reduces bipartisanship in state legislatures. To test our theory, we identify elements of the political environment that make it more plausible for state legislators to win election to Congress and examine how these factors shape legislative behavior. Comparing across states, we find that there is more roll call polarization and less bipartisan cosponsorship in chambers with a low ratio of state legislative seats to the number of congressional seats. Comparing legislators within states, we find that legislators whose state legislative districts overlap with a winnable congressional district vote in more extreme ways and are less likely to collaborate on bills with members of the opposite party. These results highlight how national polarization can lead to partisan conflict in subnational arenas.