ABSTRACT
Paradigms involve a set of concerns and questions, which in turn shape the data collected, and the analyses conducted. The concerns of scholars guide the data they collect. Thomas Kuhn's argument is that scholars operate within one paradigm until they embrace another. He also argues that the transition to a new paradigm often occurs without any challenge being presented to the old one. The concern was the responsiveness of American politics to voters and the role of competition in fostering this. At the district level there were worries about the motivations and responsiveness of Members as district competitiveness varied. The transition away from including district composition and political inclinations in efforts to explain election results was not accompanied by disputes about whether this was appropriate. At the systemic level, the concern was how the shifting distribution of competition could affect the responsiveness of American politics to public sentiment.
