Abstract
This project examines how interest groups create partisan connections among U.S. House members. Although the rise of ideologically motivated groups has been identified as a potential cause of legislative partisanship, there is very little research on how interest groups affect the nature of partisan coalitions. We consider how interest group donation strategies create connections between legislators and how the resulting networks affect the nature of lawmaking in the House. We use a combination exploratory social network analysis and traditional statistical methods to examine the contribution network and voting behavior of legislators in the 2006 House of Representatives. The results the interest groups create significant connectivity among legislators, particularly in a way that is consistent with support centralized partisan conflict. However, we find that the consequences of this relationship are complex|it sometimes supports partisan conflict and sometimes discourages it.