1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910957073003321

Autore

Powell Lynda W

Titolo

The influence of campaign contributions in state legislatures : the effects of institutions and politics / / Lynda W. Powell

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Ann Arbor : , : University of Michigan Press, , c2012

ISBN

9786613532473

9781280128592

1280128593

9780472028276

0472028278

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (271 pages)

Collana

Legislative politics & policy making

Disciplina

328.73

Soggetti

Campaign funds - United States - States

Legislators - United States - States

Legislation - United States - States

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Measuring the influence of campaign contributions in the legislative process -- Patterns of state legislative campaign finance -- An investment model of campaign contributions -- The time legislators devote to fundraising -- How much is a legislator's time worth to a contributor? -- The influence of campaign contributions in legislative chambers -- Fundraising for the caucus: expectations and practices -- Fundraising and lobbying.

Sommario/riassunto

Campaign contributions are widely viewed as a corrupting influence but most scholarly research concludes that they have marginal impact on legislative behavior. Lynda W. Powell shows that contributions have considerable influence in some state legislatures but very little in others. Using a national survey of legislators, she develops an innovative measure of influence and delineates the factors that explain this great variation across the 99 U.S. state legislative chambers. Powell identifies the personal, institutional, and political factors that determine how much time a legislator devotes to personal fundraising and fundraising for the caucus. She shows that the extent of donors'



legislative influence varies in ways corresponding to the same variations in the factors that determine fundraising time. She also confirms a link between fundraising and lobbying with evidence supporting the theory that contributors gain access to legislators based on donations, Powell's findings have important implications for the debate over the role of money in the legislative process.