Voting Behavior of Chicago Democrats at the Illinois Constitutional Convention

Abstract

By analyzing roll call voting behavior and the socioeconomic characteristics of representatives to the 1970 Illinois Constitutional Convention, this study seeks to assess: (1) the roll call cohesiveness of Chicago Democrats and other voting groups in the assembly; (2) the social, economic, and ethnic composition of major voting blocs; and (3) the kinds of issues which may tend to factionalize machine delegates. Factor analysis shows that the Chicago Democratic group was by far the most unified voting set at the Con-Con. However, given the heterogeneous elements which comprised the machine bloc, there were various roll calls—basically revolving around divergent ethnic and religious interests -which promoted substantial disunity in the ranks of the Chicago organization.