Ideal points help explain voting and policy preferences. New methods tackle massive data challenges quickly.
➡️ New Fast Methods
- Standard EM algorithm extended to handle different outcome types (binary, ordinal, continuous)
- Added variational EM algorithms for dynamic/hierarchical ideal point models
➡️ Computational Advantages
- Produces identical estimates as standard MCMC but in minutes instead of days
- Works with various data sources including roll calls, surveys and social media text
➡️ Open-source Implementation Available
