Party Contributions Come with a Support Network
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2014
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Abstract
Objectives
Contributions to candidates from the parties’ congressional campaign committees are thought to have a “multiplier effect” in terms of generating contributions from political action committees.
Method
Using structural equation modeling and timed direct contribution data from the 1992 to 2012 general election cycles, I uncover a complex system of relationships within each party network.
Results
After controlling for the competitiveness of the race, I find party contributions to challengers and open‐seat contestants early in the election cycle positively and significantly predict political action committee contributions to those candidates in the period after Labor Day, both in the era preceding the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act and the era after reform; however, the strength of the relationship declines in the postreform era and differences between the party networks also arise.
Conclusions
I attribute these developments to changes in campaign finance law that created new hurdles for parties and increased the influence of interest groups.
Recommended Citation
Baker, A. E. (n.d.). Party Campaign Contributions Come with a Support Network. Social Science Quarterly, 95(5), 1295–1307. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12067
