Jac C. Heckelman (Wake Forest University- Department of Economics) and Keith L. Dougherty (University of Georgia) have posted A Spatial Analysis of Delegate Voting at the Constitutional Convention on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
We estimate a single dimensional position for delegates at the U.S. Constitutional Convention, then explain these positions using a variety of delegate and constituent variables in a double-censored heteroskedastic Tobit model. We find that the underlying dimension of voting is not defined primarily by state factors, as often viewed. Instead, it is explained by nationalistic tendencies with covariates that include the type of political experience (judicial, executive, or legislative), ownership of slaves and private bank securities, and how much a delegate's state complied with federal requisitions. The results raise questions about principle-agent relationships in the creation of the Constitution. We also identify potential state median positions and the floor pivotal positions at different intervals over the course of the Convention.
Posted at 7:00 AM