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 77% 20% 91% 5% 1997 75 20 89 8 1996 80 19 88 7 1995 76 24 87 9 1994 77 21 95 2 1993 82 16 94 4 1992 14 85 90 5 1991 26 71 89 6 1990 19 72 85 6 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 95 1997 95 1996 95 1995 96 1994 96 1993 97 1992 95 1991 95 1990 93	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 95% n/a 35% 12 % 1997 90 100 50 25 1996 75 80 20 11 1995 75 100 25 16 1994 95 89 42 0 1993 95 100 9 9 1992 90 92 13 0 1991 90 100 20 5 1990 83 92 29 18
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

MASSACHUSETTS 2 : West Central - Springfield; Northampton; Sturbridge

The rolling hills and thick forests of the 2nd extend from Springfield in the west to the Worcester suburbs in the east. Springfield dwarfs all other communities in the 2nd. Small, rural towns and intermittent farms dominate the rest of south-central Massachusetts.

Many of Springfield's successes of the 1990s were tied to its history as a hub for inventions, although the region's future rests with the insurance and financial services industries, which have replaced some of the city's shrinking manufacturing base. Springfield hopes to stem population loss with a new civic center and a new home for the National Basketball Association Hall of Fame.

In the district's only multicultural region, Hispanics - many of whom moved to the 2nd in the 1950s to work in the tobacco fields - have gravitated to Springfield's North End, while African-Americans live near the city's center.

Residents in and around Springfield vote Democratic and dominate the district's elections. The city's blue-collar and Irish Catholic citizens support Rep. Neal's anti-abortion stance. Mount Holyoke College and Smith College provide a more liberal vote in Northampton. Well-to-do towns in the east are marginally Democratic but have voted some Republicans into state office.

Major Industry
Telecommunications, insurance, health care

Population
601,490 (1990)

Cities
Springfield, 149,948; Chicopee, 54,532; Agawam, 26,721 (1996)

People
70% urban; 14% age 65+ (ranks fourth of 10 in state; top third nationally); 56% married couples, 25% married couples with children; 19% college educated (ranks 10 of 10 in state; middle third nationally); 58% white collar (ranks 10 of 10 in state; middle third nationally), 27% blue collar (ranks first of 10 in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Race
90% white, 6% black, 1% Asian; 6% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$33,401 (ranks eighth of 10 in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
First monkey wrench produced at Bernis & Call in Springfield in 1854; Basketball invented in Springfield in 1892; First U.S. Armory, built in 1794; First gasoline-powered car and first Pullman rail car invented in Springfield.

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