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 26% 73% 87% 11% 1997 35 63 88 9 1996 34 65 86 11 1995 18 81 90 8 1994 45 51 91 7 1993 32 62 87 9 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 98 1997 97 1996 96 1995 98 1994 97 1993 96	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 20% n/a 83% 76 % 1997 15 0 90 88 1996 10 0 93 95 1995 0 0 96 100 1994 5 13 100 95 1993 10 8 82 88
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

MICHIGAN 7 : South central - Battle Creek; Jackson

The southern Michigan counties that make up the 7th take in small towns, farming communities and a few mid-size cities. Kellogg's Tony the Tiger makes his home in Battle Creek, the district's largest city, which has been dubbed "Cereal City." The cereal giant is not only one of the city's largest employers, but it also maintains one of the nation's top philanthropic organizations, donating some gifts to the Battle Creek area.

Outside Battle Creek, auto parts manufacturing drives small-town economies, especially in Jackson. Agriculture dominates most of the rest of the district, with soybeans and corn as the staple crops. The farming counties of Branch, Eaton, Hillsdale and Jackson have been fertile ground for the GOP, which has carried congressional elections. Rural and small-town voters tend to overwhelm the influence of the cities' blue-collar population, but even Democrats tend to be socially conservative. When most of the state went for the Clinton in 1992, the 7th was evenly split. In 1996, Clinton won narrowly.

The district's political and social culture has been shaped by Quaker settlements that made the area a station on the Underground Railroad and left many residents sensitive to issues such as racial segregation and the Vietnam War.

Major Industry
Agriculture, food processing, auto parts manufacturing

Population
581,005 (1990)

Cities
Battle Creek, 53,430; Jackson, 35,899; Adrian, 22,262 (1996)

People
52% rural; 12% age 65+ (ranks 10 of 16 in state; middle third nationally); 60% married couples, 28% married couples with children; 14% college educated (ranks ninth of 16 in state; bottom third nationally); 50% white collar (ranks 12 of 16 in state; bottom third nationally), 33% blue collar (ranks third of 16 in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Race
92% white, 6% black, 1% Asian; 2% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$29,976 (ranks ninth of 16 in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Sojourner Truth lived in Battle Creek; Annual Cereal Festival, culminating in the world's longest breakfast table, in Battle Creek.

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