Since 1981, National Journal's annual vote ratings have defined where members of Congress stand ideologically. The ratings rank lawmakers on how they vote relative to each other on a conservative-to-liberal scale in both the Senate and the House. The scores are based on the members' votes in three areas: economic issues, social issues, and foreign policy.
The ratings are accessible in a searchable and sortable database. Looking for one member's full scores? Skip to the search below. Otherwise, browse the ratings by composite or categorical scores below, or visit our interactive state ratings page to see scores for individual delegations.
Subscribers can also access 2006's interactive ratings; preceding years are listed at the bottom of the page.
Related Cover Story: "The New Center" by Richard E. Cohen and Brian Friel
Want to see the vote ratings by state only, or view how all the members of a state delegation (senators and representatives) compare to each other?
To view the 2007 vote ratings sorted by state delegations, click here. You can sort the results by district, or by most/least liberal/conservative (as long as there are three or more districts within the state).
Search The Vote Ratings
Looking for the complete vote ratings of a particular member across both liberal and conservative ranges? Use the form below to search by last name only.
Additional PDF Charts & Past Ratings
Need even more ways to view the ratings? Some more combinations and comparisons from National Journal magazine, plus past vote ratings:
·The Candidates: Members in the '08 presidential race. ·The Centrists: Members at the ideological center of each chamber. ·The States: State delegations in the House ranked by ideology. ·Twins & Odd Couples: Strange Senate voting patterns.
·The Fringes: The most liberal and conservative members in each chamber.
·The Leaders: Members of the House and Senate leadership.
·The Complete Ratings: Member breakdown for the House and Senate.
·The Freshmen: Incoming and outgoing members in the House and Senate.
Need A Reprint Of This Article?
National Journal Group offers both print and electronic reprint services, as well as permissions for academic use, photocopying and republication. Click here to order, or call us at 877-394-7350.