A new front in the culture war? Moral traditionalism and voting behavior in US House elections

This article examines the effect of cultural values on voting behavior in elections below the presidential level. Using data from the American National Election Studies, the article examines the effect of moral traditionalism on individual-level vote choice in U.S. House elections. Findings indicate that a new front has been opened in the culture war, with moral traditionalism exerting an indirect effect on vote choice through party identification and, most importantly, a direct effect since the mid- to late 1990s, one that was hitherto not evident. This suggests that a greater emphasis placed on cultural issues by candidates and other political elites, or possibly changes in the images held by the electorate of both parties, has resulted in a moral traditionalism cleavage being driven down to voting behavior at the congressional level. Overall, these findings suggest a widening and deepening of a cultural values-based realignment of the American electorate.