· Related Cover Story · Rating Methodology · Senate Votes · House Votes To search the vote ratings database or view comparisons of scores, see display options below.

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 2005's interactive ratings; preceding years are listed at the bottom of the page.

Related Stories From National Journal: "Left To Right" and "Diverse Views At The Top" by Richard E. Cohen

2006 Senate Ratings Compare overall Most Conservative and Most Liberal members by their composite rating scores only. Or:  · View All Liberal Scores  · View All Conservative Scores   View By ECONOMIC POLICY Scores:      Most Liberal  ·  Most Conservative   View By SOCIAL POLICY Scores:      Most Liberal  ·  Most Conservative   View By FOREIGN POLICY Scores:      Most Liberal  ·  Most Conservative

2006 House Ratings Compare overall Most Conservative and Most Liberal members by their composite rating scores only. Or:  · View All Liberal Scores  · View All Conservative Scores   View By ECONOMIC POLICY Scores:      Most Liberal  ·  Most Conservative   View By SOCIAL POLICY Scores:      Most Liberal  ·  Most Conservative   View By FOREIGN POLICY Scores:      Most Liberal  ·  Most Conservative

Browse By State

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 2006 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 Centrists: Members at the ideological center of each chamber.
 · Twins & Odd Couples: Strange Senate voting patterns.
 · Women & Minorities: Gaps in gender and race in House voting patterns.
 · Defeated House Republicans: Members who lost re-election bids.
 · Senators Running Toward The Middle: Tacking center in 2006.
 · The Leaders: Top Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate.
 · 2008 Presidential Wannabes: Democrats | Republicans

Past Senate Ratings: 2005 · 2004 · 2003 · 2002 · 2001 · 2000 · 1999 · 1998 · 1997 · 1996 · 1995
Past House Ratings:  2005 · 2004 · 2003 · 2002 · 2001 · 2000 · 1999 · 1998 · 1997 · 1996 · 1995