CQ Voting Studies are an annual analysis of a member's support or opposition to a given position. Interest Group Ratings are based on rankings from groups chosen to represent liberal, conservative, business and labor viewpoints.Voting Participation scores are based on the number of times a member voted "yea" or "nay" on roll call votes (not including quorum calls in the House). CQ Vote Studies Year Presidential Support Party Unity   S* O* S O 1998 27% 70% 84% 11% 1997 21 63 71 6 1996 38 57 86 9 1995 22 65 85 5 1994 44 54 80 17 1993 42 44 73 15 1992 75 22 73 19 1991 66 26 66 24 1990 56 38 60 25 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 94 1997 73 1996 94 1995 89 1994 97 1993 87 1992 92 1991 92 1990 91	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 20% n/a 78% 84 % 1997 5 38 80 86 1996 0 27 81 89 1995 5 36 91 91 1994 10 33 92 100 1993 15 67 73 85 1992 25 67 88 84 1991 10 55 67 67 1990 33 33 64 67
Note on Interest Groups: ADA=Americans for Democratic Action; AFL-CIO=American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations; CCUS=Chamber of Commerce of the United States; ACU=American Conservative Union

ALASKA : At large

Alaska's remoteness belies its dependence on Washington, D.C. The state's strategic proximity to Russia and the Far East makes it a military stronghold; the federal government is Alaska's largest employer. The state's other economic advantages - oil, minerals and timber - lie mostly on federally owned land. To exploit its natural resources, Alaskan leaders must first lock horns with Congress.

A never-ending battle for control over the local economy has made Alaskan voters hostile to Washington and led them to vote overwhelmingly Republican in national elections. The state hasn't sent a Democrat to Congress since 1972.

Alaska has tried to build a privatized economy by promoting tourism, now a booming industry, but most Alaskans say oil exploration is the best way to independence. The state was able to eliminate its sales and income taxes when it struck black gold near Prudhoe Bay in the '70s.

Internally, the Alaskan vote is less monolithic but still majority Republican. Voters in a few city districts, the panhandle and the sparsely populated tundra vote more Democratic. Third parties proliferate in this frozen frontier state, and the majority of Alaska voters register as either independent or nonpartisan.

Major Industry
Oil, military, fishing, timber, mining, tourism

Military Bases
Elmendorf Air Force Base, 6,752 military, 1,130 civilian; Fort Wainwright (Army), 3,922 military, 800 civilian; Fort Richardson (Army), 2,100 military, 900 civilian; Eielson Air Force Base, 2,700 military, 823 civilian; Fort Greely (Army), 282 military, 51 civilian; Kulis Air National Guard Base, 183 military, 230 civilian; Clear Air Force Station, 113 military, 46 civilian; Kodiak Coast Guard Integrated Support Command, 924 military, 64 civilian (1997)

Population
607,007 (1998)

Cities
Anchorage, 250,505; Fairbanks, 32,960; Juneau, 29,756 (1996)

People
40% urban, 33% rural; 4% age 65+ (bottom third nationally); 58% married couples, 34% married couples with children; 23% college educated (top third nationally); 61% white collar (top third nationally), 22% blue collar (bottom third nationally) (1990)

Race
76% white, 4% black, 4% Asian, 16% American Indian, Eskimo or Aleut; 4% Hispanic origin (1996)

Median Household Income
$50,992 (top third nationally) (1997)

Unusual Features
Mt. McKinley, highest point in North America at 20,320 feet; Alaska State Park System, largest in United States with 3.5 million acres.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company