Calculating legislator ideal points with Python

pypscl-example.py

from sunlight import openstates, response_cache 
from pscl.ext.openstates import RollcallBuilder


response_cache.enable('mongo') 
response_cache.logger.setLevel(10)

spec = dict(state='al', chamber='lower', search_window='term:2011-2014') 
valid_ids = [leg['id'] for leg in openstates.legislators(spec)] 

builder = RollcallBuilder(valid_ids) 
bills = openstates.bills(spec) 
for bill in bills: 
    bill = openstates.bill(bill['id']) 
    for vote in bill['votes']: 
        if vote['chamber'] != bill['chamber']: 
            continue 
        builder.add_vote(vote)

rollcall = builder.get_rollcall()

wnominate = rollcall.wnominate(polarity=('ALL000086', 'ALL000085')) 
wnom_values = wnominate.legislators.coord1D

ideal = rollcall.ideal() 
ideal_values = ideal.xbar 

import pdb; pdb.set_trace()